Alanis Morissette sued former temporary tour manager Keren Urinov in Los Angeles federal court on 1 September, alleging Urinov threatened to falsely implicate her in drug trafficking unless the singer agreed to a 15-year employment arrangement.
The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, accuses Urinov of civil extortion, fraud and negligent misrepresentation. Morissette seeks compensatory damages exceeding $75,000 (£56,601.64), punitive damages and other relief, and has requested a jury trial.
The dispute traces back to 12 July 2025, when Morissette's touring party was preparing to travel from Farnborough Airport in the United Kingdom to Spain. According to the complaint, a British Border Force official flagged a bag for inspection.
Morissette alleges that Urinov later told members of the touring party she had been arrested and served with a seizure notice alleging that the bag contained marijuana and xylazine. The filing says Urinov told the group that she acknowledged the bag and its contents were hers and showed officials an Israeli medical marijuana licence.
The complaint says Urinov was subsequently released and rejoined the touring party in Spain. When the group returned to the UK the following day, Morissette alleges Urinov was questioned again and later told the team that she had again taken responsibility for the bag and the alleged substances.
Alanis Morissette Alleges 15-Year Employment Demand
Morissette says the relationship deteriorated after the tour ended. Her complaint alleges Urinov and her lawyer sent a series of letters threatening legal action and demanding that Morissette tell British law enforcement that the alleged drugs belonged to her.
The singer alleges Urinov proposed another way to resolve the dispute, a fixed-term, full-time employment contract lasting 15 years. According to the filing, the proposed arrangement called for income equivalent to that of a tour director, annual increases and bonuses.
Morissette also alleges that Urinov wanted assistance from an immigration lawyer in obtaining a U.S. work visa and additional compensation if a visa could not be secured.
After Morissette refused, the complaint says Urinov's counsel sent another letter implying that Urinov would report Morissette to British authorities for drug trafficking, as well as sue her, unless the singer agreed to the employment and compensation demands.
Morissette's lawyers characterise the alleged conduct as a 'calculated blackmail campaign.' The complaint states that she brought the action reluctantly and would not agree to what her legal team described as an extraordinary financial demand.
The filing also criticises Urinov's performance during the 2025 tour. Morissette alleges a hotel-booking error cost her nearly $70,000 (£52,828.20). That allegation, like the broader claims in the lawsuit, has not been established by a court.
Keren Urinov Rejects Blackmail Allegation
Urinov disputes Morissette's account. Mark Lewis of Patron Law, her English solicitor, said Urinov 'totally rejects any allegation of blackmail' and wants to clear her name through the legal process.
Lewis said Urinov was prepared for a trial judge to determine what happened. His comments present a sharply different account from Morissette's complaint, which remains an untested set of civil allegations.
The litigation also began in Britain before Morissette filed her U.S. case. Urinov filed a separate claim against Morissette in London's King's Bench Division on 19 August, according to court reporting. The precise allegations in that proceeding have not been publicly detailed in the reports reviewed.
That earlier filing is significant to the chronology but does not establish wrongdoing by either side. Likewise, Morissette's U.S. complaint does not amount to a finding that Urinov committed extortion, fraud or any criminal offence.
Morissette's action asks a federal court to resolve her civil claims arising from the airport incident and the later correspondence. Urinov denies the blackmail allegation, and the competing accounts have yet to be tested through the legal process.
