While superstar singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran is usually seen doing sweet things like trade his guitar for Thor’s hammer with Chris Hemsworth, he has faced some controversies before over things like his cameo in Game of Thrones’ Season 7 premiere (which led to him leaving Twitter). However, the performer might be way more affected by trouble that comes about because of his music. It was just on Monday, April 24, that a trial began to determine whether or not the singer is guilty of copyright infringement on his 2014 hit, “Thinking Out Loud.” Unfortunately, the woman who’s suing him collapsed in court and had to be rushed to the hospital.
What Happened When The Woman Suing Ed Sheeran Collapsed In Court?
According to Entertainment Tonight, the trial was on its second day when Kathryn Townsend Griffin, the plaintiff who is suing Sheeran, became visibly ill during the testimony of a musicologist, one of her expert witnesses, who was under cross examination at the time. It was around 4:15 p.m. in the Manhattan U.S. Federal court when those in the room witnessed Griffin close her eyes and saw that her legs began to buckle. Apparently, attorneys from each side of the case then had to help “lift her out of the courtroom” to get medical attention from a nurse in the judge’s chambers.
She eventually left the courthouse in a wheelchair and was taken to a hospital for further treatment. Someone who was present in the courtroom told the outlet:
Ed turned around as she was being carried out and he looked concerned. He looked worried for her. The courtroom was in shock. No one was allowed to leave. It was total chaos when it first happened.
The legal team for Griffin said that she does have a pre-existing medical condition which may have led to her collapse. Once it was clear that the plaintiff was in the hands of medical professionals, the judge had the cross examination continue, adjourning for the day roughly 45 minutes later.
Why Is Ed Sheeran Being Sued For Copyright Infringement?
As noted previously, Sheeran’s Grammy Award winning “Thinking Out Loud” is the point of contention in the case, with Griffin being the daughter of songwriter Ed Townsend, who co-wrote the 1973 Marvin Gaye classic, “Let’s Get It On.” Townsend’s heirs claim the newer tune has “striking similarities" and "overt common elements" that are emblematic of copyright infringement (a claim Taylor Swift has also dealt with), according to Fox News.
One bit of evidence the plaintiff’s team has submitted for review involves a video of Sheeran (who nearly wrote and performed No Time To Die’s theme) in concert blending his song with the soul hit. When he testified on Tuesday, however, he defended the move by saying he does such mash ups a lot in live shows, and that it’s both easy to do because many songs have “similar chords,” and done with many other hits. He added that he’d “be quite an idiot” to perform a mash up of a song he supposedly plagiarized with the song he used the stolen elements for in front of a stadium full of people.
While we hope Griffin has now recovered, there is more to do in court, as the trial is expected to last for two weeks. This is Sheeran’s second trial over copyright infringement after having won the battle over his 2017 song, “Shape of You,” in a U.K. courtroom in April 2022.
