News / Entertainment
Avril Lavigne Facing Lawsuit for Ripping Off “Girlfriend”
Avril Lavigne may be going through an ugly breakup with her hit song “Girlfriend” if songwriters Tommy Dunbar and James Gangwer have their way. According to a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court the pair claim that Lavigne lifted the song from a 1979 tune, “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend,” they penned.
The 22-year-old Lavigne earned her first number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Girlfriend” but many music critics recognized the style of the song and instantly identified it as the work of new wave band The Rubinoos who performed the song in 1979.
A court date has been set for Aug. 28 in Oakland.
Lavigne has been credited with selling more than 26 million albums worldwide and is considered one of the most powerful Canadians in Hollywood.
