Drake’s “Janice STFU” Accuser Withdraws Copyright Lawsuit

Drake saw the copyright lawsuit over “Janice STFU” withdrawn less than two weeks after a songwriter accused him of copying its chorus.

Rolling Stone reported that Aviel Calev Hirschfield voluntarily dismissed the lawsuit barely 10 days after filing it. The publication cited a recent court filing.

The Portland producer, known professionally as GoodbyeCalev, had sued Drake on October 16 in California federal court. The complaint also named OVO Sound LLC, UMG Recordings Inc. and Universal Music Publishing Inc.

Drake’s team had denied the claims and called the lawsuit “manufactured and baseless.” His representatives maintained that he wrote the song himself.

GoodbyeCalev’s complaint described a chorus he said he developed with Drake in mind over music from production duo FnZ. He alleged that he completed his demo around January 25, 2026, sent it to producers who worked with Drake and heard nothing back.

“Janice STFU’s chorus is literally identical to the Copyrighted Work in lyrics, melody, and cadence,” the complaint alleged.

The dispute involved more than what listeners heard. GoodbyeCalev alleged that his manager gave Drake’s representatives separate recording files and their metadata to support his account. He also alleged that Drake’s lawyers demanded he stop publicly claiming authorship.

A recording presented as his demo later circulated on X. A legal representative for GoodbyeCalev told Pitchfork that the leaked audio matched the recording submitted as evidence in the case. The producer’s claim rested on his account of when that recording was made.

The song’s musical roots were already public. “Janice STFU,” from Iceman, interpolated Lykke Li’s 2011 song “I Follow Rivers”. Drake had used Li’s music years earlier too, sampling “Little Bit” on his 2009 mixtape So Far Gone.

GoodbyeCalev and Drake also shared writing credits on Beyoncé’s “Heated,” from Renaissance. In a 2023 Willamette Week interview, GoodbyeCalev described how his manager circulated a track that Beyoncé picked up. He said the money from “Heated” helped him buy gear for his Southwest Portland studio after years working as a rapper, producer and engineer.

His now-withdrawn complaint sought damages and profits tied to the alleged infringement, along with a jury trial. It did not put a dollar figure on his claimed losses.