HollywoodLife.com obtained Jonathon’s lawsuit that was filed on March 31 in the Central District Court of California Western Division, against both Bruno, whose real name is Peter Gene Hernandez and Atlantic Records for copyright infringement. Jonathon claims that in 2010 he not only uploaded “Cry” to YouTube but that he was allegedly “working” with Atlantic Records to to release his own record 13 months before Bruno’s hit made him a household name. But around the time of Bruno’s success, Jonathon landed himself in prison and he claims in his lawsuit that he then embarked on a “spiritual Buddhist journey in which he shunned all electronic media.” This is why he claims it took him so many years to file the lawsuit because he says he didn’t even hear “Grenade” until 2013.
Jonathon claims that not only are the melodies are similar but that the lyrics are too. Jonathon points out that Bruno’s famous hook: “I’d catch a grenade for ya/Throw my head on a blade for ya/I’d jump in front of a train for ya/You know I’d do anything for ya” are similar to his lyrics for cry: “I cried for you baby but you didn’t hear me/I gave you my all but you didn’t understand/I would have died for you baby but you didn’t feel me/I gave you my heart but you didn’t do the same.” We’re not so sure we see the connection. This is the second lawsuit filed against Bruno in a matter of months. In February, The Sequence, a female rap group, claimed that Bruno stole their song, “Funk You Up” for his massive 2015 hit, “Uptown Funk” with Mark Ronson. They claim that the songs are way too similar. Meanwhile, Mark and Bruno won Record of the Year at the 2016 Grammys.
HollywoodLife.com has reached out to Bruno’s camp and also to Atlantic Records for comment.
HollywoodLifers, do you think Bruno really stole “Grenade”?