M.I.A has filed a lawsuit against Kid Cudi for $2.8million (£2million), claiming that he kicked her off his tour in an attempt to “generate publicity” after she made controversial comments on stage.
Cudi, real name Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi, announced last month that he had dropped the British singer and rapper from his ongoing Rebel Ragers Tour, saying that he was “flooded with messages from fans” who had complained about the statements she made while opening for him during the first two shows of his tour.
According to reports from the time, M.I.A (born Mathangi Arulpragasam) was booed by the crowd in Dallas after saying, “I’ve been cancelled for many reasons, I never thought I would be cancelled for being a brown Republican voter”. Consequence also reports that she made some comments that were interpreted by some as being about immigrants, but the singer said it was a reference to her song “ILLYGIRL.”
From there, Cudi shared a statement claiming that he agreed with M.I.A ahead of the shows that there would not be anything offensive said at the shows, and claimed that it was “very disappointing” to have to drop her from the tour.
“I won’t have someone on my tour making offensive remarks that upsets my fanbase,” he said.
I WROTE ILLYGAL ON THE MAYA LP A SONG FROM 2010.
I STARTED THIS INTRO TO THE SONG WITH THE STATEMENT SAYING I'M ILLYGAL, AND I SAID MY TEAM HASN'T GOTTEN VISAS YET. THEN PLAYED A SONG THAT HAD LYRICS SAYING "FU&% THE LAW", WHICH I STILL BELIEVE, IF THE LAW IS UNJUST F@%& IT.— M.I.A. ⊕ II II II (@MIAuniverse) May 4, 2026
Soon afterwards, M.I.A took to X to respond to the decision, seemingly walking back on her comments about voting by saying that she hasn’t voted as “my team hasn’t gotten visas yet”.
She also said that she played a song that “had lyrics saying ‘FU&% THE LAW’, which I still believe, if the law is unjust F@&% IT,” before adding: “Do not gas light my words. That is the work of Satan.”
Now, M.I.A has filed a lawsuit against Cudi, claiming that he knew her reputation and political stance before inviting her on the tour, and alleging that she was told that she could say whatever she wanted on stage.
Her filing also claims that the firing from the tour was done in an attempt to generate more discussion and ticket sales for the shows, and had left her more than $2.8million out of pocket.
“M.I.A. was terminated to generate publicity for the tour, which has struggled with ticket sales,” her complaint reads (via Consequence). “She was contractually allowed to say whatever she wanted on stage. M.I.A. now holds Kid Cudi accountable for his bad faith destruction of her contractual rights, business opportunities, and reputation.”
It adds that the statement issued by Cudi discussing the alleged “agreement” they had ahead of the tour kicking off was “riddled with falsehoods”, and claims that he reached out to Live Nation asking to break the contract with M.I.A. and her company Neet Touring.
M.I.A is suing Kid Cudi for over $2.8M after being kicked off his tour, alleging she was removed to generate publicity and boost ticket sales.
The lawsuit claims M.l.A. was contractually allowed full creative control over her set, and says Cudi's statement about her making… pic.twitter.com/shAyJqM5p8
— No Jumper (@nojumper) June 1, 2026
“Kid Cudi’s motivations are purely commercial,” the complaint continued. “He has already been forced to cancel a Tour date due to low ticket sales. He has ridiculed and attempted to ‘cancel’ M.I.A. to market the Tour and sell tickets.”
M.I.A also said that she was guaranteed just over $2.8 million to do the tour, and has since had death threats sent to her and her son since being fired from the dates. She also alleges that there was a private-event offer that was rescinded after the controversy, which saw her lost $300,000 (£222,000).
She is asking the court to make Cudi pay her the $2.8million, as well as punitive damages and legal fees.
M.I.A. has received backlash for a number of controversial statements in recent years. These include comparing InfoWars host Alex Jones’s falsehoods about the Sandy Hook shooting to celebrities “pushing” COVID-19 vaccines. She later clarified her stance on COVID vaccines, saying she’s “not really” an anti-vaxxer.
Ahead of the 2024 election, M.I.A. threw her weight behind Trump’s campaign, saying he would “ride America through the most challenging four years”, adding that “RFK will inherit America when God is ready to replant and rebuild it righteously”.
She released her new album ‘M.I.7’ earlier this year, and announced alongside it a new clothing range that blocks 10G – the latest in her own Ohmni clothing brand.