Missy Elliott Wins Legal Battle Over Aaliyah’s ‘Heartbroken’ Royalties

Missy Elliott Wins Legal Battle Over Aaliyah’s ‘Heartbroken’ Royalties

Missy Elliott secures a major legal win in the battle over royalties for Aaliyah’s song “Heartbroken.”

In a significant development, a judge has dismissed a lawsuit against Missy Elliott, resolving a long-standing dispute over royalties and co-ownership claims of songs by the late R&B singer Aaliyah.

Missy Elliott

The legal battle, initiated by songwriter Timothy Williams in 2018, centered around the song “Heartbroken,” which appeared on Aaliyah’s 1996 album One in a Million.

Aaliyah’s Album Cover

Timothy Williams claimed he collaborated with Missy Elliott from 1993 to 1996, co-writing numerous songs for artists such as 702, Total, and others. Among those compositions was “Heartbroken,” which Timothy Williams alleged was later used on Aaliyah’s album without proper credit or compensation. He sought recognition as a co-author, damages for breach of contract, and compensation for unjust enrichment.

Missy Elliott firmly denied Williams’ claims throughout the legal proceedings, and the case took a critical turn when Judge Nitza I. Quiñones Alejandro reviewed summary judgment motions from both parties and ruled in Elliott’s favor, citing the three-year statute of limitations.

The judge stated,

“Williams commenced this action against Elliott on November 14, 2018, over twenty-two years after the release of ‘Heartbroken.’ Under these circumstances, this Court further finds that Williams has failed to offer evidence that he exercised due diligence. As such, Williams’ co-ownership claim based on the song ‘Heartbroken’ released by Aaliyah is barred by the three-year statute of limitations.”

However, the judge denied Elliott’s motion for summary judgment concerning Williams‘ claims about songs used by the R&B group SISTA, leaving those allegations unresolved for the time being.

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