An Israeli man has been arrested on suspicion of hacking into Madonna’s computer and releasing demo songs from her upcoming album "Rebel Heart."
Wednesday’s arrest comes after a month-long investigation by Israel’s Lahav 433 organization and the
FBI, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The suspect, identified by local reports as a former contestant on an Israeli singing competition TV show, is accused of hacking into the computers of several international artists to steal and sell their work, The Hollywood Reporter said. An official gag order has been issued on the suspect’s name.
Among the material reportedly stolen from Madonna are songs that hadn’t been released, sketches of songs, and photographs, causing the singer millions of dollars in
professional and personal damage, Haaretz reported.
In response to the incident, Madonna pre-released six songs from her "Rebel Heart" album on iTunes on Dec. 20, months ahead of the album’s
planned release of March 10, Billboard reported.
Madonna’s manager Guy Oseary told Billboard during a Dec. 23 interview that Madonna "was devastated — I mean, devastated and sickened that someone would do this to her and not allow her the chance to share the finished product with people."
Charges haven’t been filed yet, but the 39-year-old man is suspected of computer hacking, copyright violation, and fraudulent receipt of goods.
Private Israeli investigator Asher Wizman told Reuters that the singer’s team contacted him to look into the leak several weeks ago.
"Our investigator found her computers, at home and at a studio, were broken into from a computer in Israel," Wizman told Reuters. "We tracked down the computer, and the man behind it. After gathering enough evidence, we turned to the police and he was arrested today."
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