Rihanna issues cease-and-desist letter after music used by Donald Trump at rally

Image: Fenty Beauty

Rihanna has take legal action in the form of a cease-and-desist letter against Donald Trump and his team, after the award-winning pop-star discovered via Twitter that her highly successful 2007 track, ‘Don’t Stop The Music’ was being played at a Trump political rally in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Rihanna’s legal team wrote that “It has come to our attention that President Trump has utilized [Rihanna’s] musical compositions and master recordings, including her hit track ‘Don’t Stop the Music,’ in connection with a number of political events held across the United States,” and went on to explain that no consent had been given to do so, as well as, “Such use is therefore improper. Trump’s unauthorised use of Ms Fenty [Rihanna]’s music creates a false impression that Ms Fenty [Rihanna] is affiliated with, connected to or otherwise associated with Trump.”

After Rihanna discovered that Trump had played ‘Please Don’t Stop The Music’ at one of his rallies, she first voiced her disgust online, saying that, “me nor my people would ever be at or around one of those tragic rallies” and then subsequently drew up a cease-and-desist letter with her legal team.

Rihanna is not the only artist that has publicly and/or legally opposed Trump’s use of their music over the last year. Other musicians speaking up against Trump for his use of their music at his rallies include The Rolling Stones, over the use of ‘Start Me Up’, Prince’s estate, over the use of ‘Purple Rain’, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler over his ‘Livin’ On The Edge’ and Pharrell Williams, over the use of his hit song ‘Happy’, which Trump used at a political event just hours after a mass shooting.

Just this week, Guns ‘n’ Roses frontman Axl Rose has also voiced his objection to the USA president using the band’s beloved classic ‘Sweet Child Of Mine’ at an event, but unfortunately was not able to stop Trump from doing so, due to legal loopholes to do with event venues.

Image: Getty Images