Mixing her love for pop and country, Kelsea Ballerini watched as her stardom hit new heights when she released songs like “Love Me Like You Mean It.” Besides being a hit song, the track, which was her debut single, landed No. 1 on the charts. Ballerini was the first female singer to take her debut single to No. 1 since Carrie Underwood back in 2006. While winning numerous awards and releasing four studio albums, Ballerini recently found herself the victim of hacking when a fan decided to share unreleased demos and masters of the singer.
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With her privacy a victim of a cyber attack, Ballerini wasted no time getting the authorities involved. According to the singer, the hacker, named Bo Ewing, lives in Ohio and is a former member of Ballerini’s fan club. Although a supporter of her career in the past, the motion from the singer stated that Ewing “has since become disenfranchised with Ms. Ballerini.”
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Looking at court documents, the filings detailed how the hacker got access to Ballerini’s devices, noting, “through gaining back-door access to the device of either, or both, of Ms. Ballerini or Ms. Vanderheym.” Ballerini also explained how Ewing not only stole her unfinished work but also shared it with numerous parties.
Kelsea Ballerini Looks To Expand Her Stardom At The 2024 ACM Awards
A spokesperson close to Ballerini told People, “Protection of an artist’s music is of the upmost importance. Artists spend countless hours perfecting their craft and telling their stories through their music. Stealing and sharing unfinished music is illegal and harms the integrity of the creative process.”
Outside court, Ballerini is enjoying her time in the spotlight as she recently hosted the 2024 CMT Awards which featured a special tribute to country icon Toby Keith. And for the upcoming 2024 ACM Awards, the country singer looks to take home both Album of the Year and Female Artist of the Year. Taking over the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas, the ACM Awards will air on May 16 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on Prime Video.
(Photo by Frazer Harrison/WireImage)
