Interscope Sues Summer Walker for $50 Million After She Tries to Leave Her Deal
Interscope sued Summer Walker for at least $50 million on Oct. 9 after she used California's seven-year rule to exit her 2017 deal. The label claims she still owes two albums and an EP. Her lawyer says she will fight it and plans to countersue.
Summer Walker said she was done with her label. Her label just answered in court.
Interscope, which is owned by Universal Music Group, filed a lawsuit against the Atlanta singer on Friday, Oct. 9, in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Billboard and Rolling Stone each obtained the complaint. The label is asking for at least $50 million.
Here's how it got here. In August, Summer sent Interscope a letter saying that as of Aug. 27, 2026, she would no longer work under her contract because it was no longer enforceable. She is using California's "seven-year rule," a law that lets people walk away from personal service contracts after seven years. She signed her joint deal with Interscope and LVRN back in 2017.
That same law lets labels sue for damages if an artist leaves before turning in all the albums they promised. Labels only get 45 days to file. Interscope filed near the end of that window.
The label says her deal called for five studio albums and she only turned in three: Over It (2019), Still Over It (2021) and Finally Over It (2025). It says her early projects, Last Day of Summer and CLEAR, did not count toward that total. Interscope claims she still owes two albums and an EP. These are the label's claims. No court has ruled on them.
Summer's lawyer, Keith Moten, told Rolling Stone they are "confident in Summer's legal position" and "intend to vigorously defend against Interscope's claims." He said Summer plans to countersue the label.
Interscope told Billboard it still hopes to settle things and that the deadline forced it to file. "We have great respect for Summer and her music and would welcome the opportunity to continue our successful partnership," a spokesperson said.
This is the same deal people have been calling brutal for years. Industry experts who reviewed it for Rolling Stone said so, and the contract gave her a starting advance of just $110,000 and a 16 percent royalty on her first two albums after recoupment.
Should Summer pay up or walk?
Sources: Billboard (Rachel Scharf, Oct. 9, complaint obtained); Rolling Stone (Nancy Dillon, Oct. 9, complaint obtained, statement from Summer's attorney); Complex (Oct. 10). Photo: Summer Walker at CFG Bank Arena, Baltimore, June 9, 2026 (Tonya Caver / Parklife DC).