'60s Pop Star in Legal Battle With Management Company
- - '60s Pop Star in Legal Battle With Management Company
Liz LindainDecember 16, 2025 at 4:21 AM
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Dionne Warwick is in another legal battle.
On Monday evening, Billboard reported that the legendary 1960s actress and singer is being sued by rights management company Artists Rights Enforcement Corp for allegedly trying to back out of their agreement after they helped secure her share from Doja Cat's hit "Paint the Town Red."
The lead single for Doja Cat's fourth studio album, Scarlet, "Paint the Town Red," heavily samples Warwick's hit, "Walk on By." AREC filed the suit on Monday, saying that they've represented Warwick for years and she's now reneging on their agreement concerning the sample's earnings. The company repped the R&B icon on many difficult rights issues "at no cost to her," in return for a 50% cut of her royalties.
Warwick has been involved in numerous lawsuits over the past 40 years, both as a plaintiff and defendant — spanning disputes over sample clearances, unauthorized use of her name in Broadway's Baby It's You!, tax issues with the IRS and business disagreements with late composer Bert Bacharach. She also sued a tabloid for libel in the 1980s and a travel agency in 2000 for selling fraudulent tickets.
Dionne Warwick attends her 85th Birthday Celebration on December 12, 2025 in Summit, New Jersey. Mark Sagliocco/Getty Images
When "Paint the Town Red" was released in 2023, it was a huge success and gave Doja Cat her first No. 1 song. Beforehand, Warwick had no idea who the rapper was, but learned about her and the sampling through her granddaughter. Warwick did not write "Walk on By," meaning royalties go to the estates of its composers, Bacharach and Hal David, though she benefits from licensing tied to Doja Cat’s performances of the song.
"When I heard that it had been done, I hope 'Walk on By' is as good for her as it has been for me," Warwick said on The Kelly Clarkson Show in December 2023. "They're great songs, and finally [they 're] being exposed to some good music."
"Walk on By," the eighth track of her album Make Way for Dionne Warwick, peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 when it was released in 1964.
Dionne Warwick on stage at the Olympia in Paris, April 26, 1964.
AREC claims that Warwick owes them a significant cut of the money from this and other deals, therefore violating her contract, but Warwick disputes this because she wasn't credited as a writer on Doja Cat's track, leading to confusion over earnings. The firm claims Warwick is trying to evade paying their agreed-upon 50% cut from the sample revenue.
Currently, Warwick and her team have not returned Billboard's request for comment regarding the lawsuit.
Related: '60s Icon Dionne Warwick Reacts to Ego Nwodim’s Exit from 'SNL'
Related: Doja Cat Shares Unexpected '80s-Themed Vision For Next Album
This story was originally published by Parade on Dec 16, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
