Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Tom Petty's Estate Rips Kari Lake For Using Song Without Permission To Promote Her 'Failed Campaign'

Tom Petty; Kari Lake
Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic/Getty Images; John Moore/Getty Images

The late rocker's estate released a statement calling out the failed Arizona gubernatorial candidate.

The estate of late rocker Tom Petty criticized Kari Lake—a QAnon adherent and election denier who was the Republican nominee in Arizona's gubernatorial race—after she used his song "I Won't Back Down" to promote her "failed campaign."

Lake has thus far refused to concede after she officially lost the gubernatorial race to Katie Hobbs, the Arizona Secretary of State whom Lake threatened with imprisonment on baseless and unspecified allegations of criminality related to the 2020 election.


Instead, she's rehashed the playbook made popular by former Republican President Donald Trump, falsely alleging that election fraud took place, and her use of "I Won't Back Down" was her way of making this statement in an ad she released following her loss.

However, Petty's estate says the song "was stolen and used without permission or a license to promote Kari Lake’s failed campaign."

You can see the ad below.

Petty's estate posted a longer statement to the rocker's official Twitter account, saying:

"This is illegal. We are exploring all of our legal options to stop this unauthorized use and to prohibit future misappropriations of Tom’s beloved anthem."
"Thank you to all of the fans who brought this to our attention and who help us protect his legacy every day.”

You can see the official statement below.

As it turns out, Lake's choice of music is her simply mimicking Trump, who was called out by Petty's estate for using the same song when he announced a return to the campaign trail in 2020.

At the time, Petty's estate said that Petty—who made no secret of his progressive politics when he was alive—would have disapproved of Trump's use of the song, saying Trump "was in no way authorized" to use it "to further a campaign that leaves too many Americans and common sense behind."

Lake and her use of the song were immediately criticized.


The criticism from Petty's estate is only the latest example of Lake being called out by an arist who doesn't agree with the political beliefs of the MAGA crowd.

Earlier this year, Twisted Sister rocker Dee Snider lashed out at Lake after learning her campaign had used the band's song "We're Not Going to Take It" at her campaign rallies.

While Snider acknowledged that people don't have to "get permission to play any song at an event," referring to paid licensing agreements that allow venues to legally use an entire catalog of music, he said that he "WILL denounce" those he disagrees with.

Later, he noted the hyper conservative Lake was using a song "NEVER intended for you fascist morons" because the first line is what he called a "PRO-CHOICE anthem."

Lake's campaign was unrepentant, later responding Snider was once "anti-establishment" because he once testified before Congress about music censorship during hearings in the 1990s about the "dangers" of rock music.

More from Trending

Donald Trump; The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool
Ken Cedeno / AFP via Getty Images; Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Trump Dragged After Video Of Renovated Reflecting Pool Already Shows Parts Of It Coated In Algae

President Donald Trump is facing criticism now that officials are scrambling to explain why the newly renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is coated with what they've referred to as "residual algae," creating an eyesore at one of Washington, D.C.'s most cherished attractions.

Although the Trump administration praised the project and said the nation's capital looked "better than ever" after the reservoir reopened, signs of algae growth were visible along the water's edge just one day after it was refilled.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @Suzierizzo1's X video
@Suzierizzo1/X

Racist Connecticut Woman Caught On Video Telling Indian Woman To 'Eat Your Bacon' And Go Back To Her Country

A video, shared on X by @Suzierizzo1, of an incredibly racist woman at a ShopRite market in Stamford, Connecticut, recently went viral after the inflammatory things she said to a fellow customer.

In the shared video, the woman was standing at a customer service station, demanding to pay for a handful of items while other customers were there to return products.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @LeahRain77's video
@LeahRain77/X

Woman Shares How Man Stalked Her From Her Morning Run All The Way To A Restaurant In Alarming Video

A woman shared an important reminder to stay alert, trust your gut, and stay safe out there after she was stalked by an unidentified man on her morning run.

The video was cross-posted to X by @LeahRain77, in which the woman explained that her alertness and the slight change to her routine that morning may have saved her life.

Keep ReadingShow less
Taylor Swift; 'Toy Story 5' cast: Conan O'Brien, Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Greta Lee
Kevin Mazur/TAS Rights Management/Getty Images; Rodin Eckenroth/Disney/Getty Images

Taylor Swift Brought Her VHS Copy Of 'Toy Story' To The 'Toy Story 5' Premiere To Have The Cast Sign It—And We're Obsessed

Fans have said since the beginning of her career that Taylor Swift is one of us, with the same big heart and interests she would have if she hadn't found stardom.

For those who remain unconvinced, the Toy Story 5 premiere might just do the trick.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @jessicajeankava's TikTok video
@jessicajeankava/TikTok

Woman Dragged After Breaking Down In Tears In Viral TikTok Because Hotel Pool Was Overrun With Kids

There's nothing quite like going to a location, knowing exactly what to expect, and then being upset that you got exactly what you expected.

But going to a family-friendly hotel and seeing kids at the pool was just what TikToker @jessicajeankava needed to set her off. She was already crying when she hit "record."

Keep ReadingShow less