Disco legend Gloria Gaynor, the iconic voice behind the anthem “I Will Survive,” has filed a $2 million lawsuit against her former producer, Joel Diamond, alleging financial misconduct and unauthorized exploitation of her music.
The lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of New York on July 26, 2024, accuses Diamond and his associated companies of withholding payments and wrongfully claiming ownership of several of Gaynor’s songs.
According to the court documents obtained by Fox News Digital, Gaynor asserts that Diamond, alongside his companies—Joel Diamond Entertainment, Silver Blue Productions, and Ocean Blue Music—has failed to provide transparency regarding how her music has been licensed and used.
Gaynor alleges that Diamond “utterly failed to live up to their obligations to keep Plaintiffs apprised of how their work was being licensed and used, while wrongfully exacting economic benefits they were not entitled to by exploiting that very relationship.”
The complaint details that Diamond allegedly misrepresented himself as the owner of several of Gaynor’s songs, including “I’ve Been Watching You,” “You’re All I Need to Get By,” and “I Am What I Am.”
Gaynor also contends that Diamond falsely claimed co-writing credits on at least one of her songs, despite her assertion that she never collaborated with him as a songwriter.
The lawsuit states:
“At no time did Gaynor write a song with Diamond. To her knowledge, Diamond has never been a songwriter.”
Despite Gaynor’s repeated requests for an accounting of royalties and licensing agreements, the defendants allegedly “concealed and suppressed all payments to Gaynor,” leaving her in the dark about the financial benefits generated from her work.
Gaynor is joined in the lawsuit by co-plaintiff Robin Randall, a songwriter who similarly alleges that Diamond fraudulently claimed ownership of her copyrighted works and entered into unauthorized licensing agreements.
Randall further accuses Diamond of coercing her mother, Judithe Randall—who was suffering from severe mental health issues at the time—into signing over her ownership rights to several copyrighted works. Judithe Randall, who collaborated with her daughter on songwriting, passed away in 2002.
In response to the lawsuit, Diamond has refuted the allegations, stating:
“I am in the process of retaining counsel. The allegations are demonstrably false. The written contract is very clear and has been in place for 40 years. Sony has acknowledged that I own 100 percent of the rights. Any statement contrary to this fact is defamatory and I intend to exercise my legal rights to the fullest extent.”
The lawsuit accuses Diamond and his companies of breach of contract, copyright infringement, and fraud. Gaynor, who continues to make headlines with her appearances, including on “The Masked Singer” in 2022, remains focused on ensuring that the rights to her music are protected and that she receives the compensation she is owed.
