In January, police officers in Israel arrested Adi Lederman, who hacked into Madonna‘s computer, releasing demo versions of songs from her Rebel Heart album. The arrest came after a month-along investigation involving a private investigation firm, and the cyber crime unit of Israel’s Lahav 433. Lahav 433 is a crime-fighting organization similar to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). “The suspect broke into the personal computer of several international artists over the past few months and stole promotional final-cut singles which have yet to be released and traded them online for a fee,” Lahav 433 described in a statement detailing how the 39-year old suspect broke into the pop icon’s computer.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the suspect hacked into the private Apple iCloud accounts of Sara Zambrano, Kevin Antunes, and Angie Teo. Lederman also hacked into fifteen other email accounts as well. In December of 2014, Madonna’s demos were leaked online, and it forced the singer to put out a pre-release of six songs from Rebel Heart later that month. The Hollywood Reporter also revealed that Lederman had copies of Madonna’s rehearsal audio for her Grammy Awards performance this year. The suspect sold the audio files for ten-thousand dollars and more. Once Lederman found out there was going to be an investigation regarding Madonna’s stolen music, he instructed the person who purchased her songs to delete all the files. Lederman also had a copy of the pop icon’s song “Give Me All Your Luvin’,” for which he sold the song for an unspecified amount. Lederman has been charged with computer trespassing, copyright infringement, obstructing the investigation, and prohibited secret monitoring.
Ironically, Lederman is also a musician in Israel. Three years ago, he auditioned for a singing competition show in Israel entitled Kochav Nolad, which translates as A Star Is Born. When Madonna was made aware of the suspect’s arrest, she released a statement on her Facebook page. “I am profoundly grateful to the FBI, the Israeli Police investigators and anyone else who helped lead to the arrest of this hacker,” Madonna wrote on social media. The pop singer added, “I deeply appreciate my fans who have provided us with pertinent information and continue to do so regarding leaks of my music. Like any citizen, I have the right to privacy.” Madonna concluded, “This invasion into my life- creatively, professionally, and personally remains a deeply devastating and hurtful experience, as it must be for all artists who are victims of this type of crime.”
FDRMX Eyes: Seattle duo Fly Moon Royalty is comprised of AdraBoo and Action J. The two have released their music video for “DNA,” which is shot entirely in black and white.
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