British singer Ed Sheeran has opened up about his plagiarism lawsuit and said he will “quit music” in case he will be found guilty.
There are a lot of things going on for Ed Sheeran. He has a new documentary on Disney+ called “The Sum of It All,” a brand-new album, Subtract, almost out for release, and a longtime lawsuit on his hands.
Let’s talk about the lawsuit. Ed Sheeran has been accused of plagiarism for Marvin Gaye‘s song “Let’s Get It On” for his 2014 hit “Thinking Out Loud.”
The 32-year-old Brit has been sued by the heirs of songwriter Ed Townsend. He had collaborated with singer Marvin Gaye in 1973 to release the classic song.
So far, Sheeran has denied the charge, and he is adamant he wins the lawsuit. The musician said he found the allegations in the case “really insulting“. At the court hearing on Monday, the musician said, “I’m not gonna swear.“
Denying the claim, the British singer-songwriter vowed that if the jury does find him guilty, he will be “done” with music.
“If that happens, I’m done, I’m stopping. I find it really insulting to devote my whole life to being a performer and a songwriter and have someone diminish it,” Mr Sheeran told his lawyer Irene Farkas, as per UK entertainment website Joe.
Sheeran said he and other performers frequently perform such “mash ups“, and that he had on other occasions combined “Thinking Out Loud” with Van Morrison’s “Crazy Love” and Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.”
Mr. Townsend’s heirs are seeking $100 million in restitution.
