Songwriter Skylar Grey Sells Entire Song Catalog To Afford Divorce
She may not have a household name, but Skylar Grey is responsible for writing some of the biggest modern day hits, including Eminem and Rihanna’s “Love the Way You Lie” and Diddy’s “Coming Home.” However, the songwriter just gave up the rights to her song to finalize her divorce.
In a new interview with Variety, the musician said she hit “rock bottom” in recent years amid the tumultuous break-up from Todd Mandel, which climaxed with her having to sell her music catalogue.
"This past year, 2021, we finally resolved [the divorce], settled, I had to sell my catalog in order to afford the settlement,” she explained. “Which was very sad in a way, because those songs like 'Love The Way You Lie' and 'Coming Home,' those are my babies."
In selling the song catalogue, Skylar effectively loses all future revenue from the hits.
"Every time one of those songs get used in a movie or whatever, I don't see any of that money anymore. But unfortunately, the majority of what I got paid for my catalog went to taxes and my ex-husband," she said.
Skylar made it clear she didn’t want to sell her music, but it was the only way to settle the divorce and leave her relationship with Todd. "I didn't want to sell them, but it was my only way to put the past behind me,” Skylar explained.
However, the singer continued on to say that while she may not have legal rights to the songs, they’re still her creations. "But at the same time, nobody can tell me I didn't write those songs just 'cause I don't own the rights to them anymore," she stated.
Despite the rough last few years, Skylar is looking towards the future. She’s currently engaged to songwriter Elliott Taylor and released her fourth album earlier this year. “I have such a weight off of me now with the case being over, I'm not on the phone with lawyers every day, and I'm not having to pay all these legal bills anymore,” she told Variety.
It's unclear what Skylar made for the song catalogue, but some sell for tens of millions of dollars. Justin Timberlake recently sold his music for $100 million in a ground-breaking deal.
Other musicians who’ve sold their music catalogue include Bob Dylan, who earned an estimated $200 to 300 million for the assortment. Artists like the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Tina Turner, Shakira, and Stevie Nicks sold theirs for undisclosed amounts.
Sources: Variety, A Journal of Musical Things,
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