The long-running tension between Cradle of Filth and several former members has escalated into a new lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona. Zoë Federoff, Marek “Ashok” Smerda, Lindsay Schoolcraft (Matheson), Richard Shaw, Paul Allender, and Sasha Baxter are jointly suing Cradle of Filth LLP, Cradle of Filth Touring Ltd., Dani Filth, and Oracle Management, alleging unauthorized commercial use of their likenesses and recorded performances. Read the full document here.
According to the filing, the band and their management continued to sell merchandise, vinyl, posters, online listings, and VIP/meet-and-greet materials featuring the plaintiffs’ images without permission or compensation after their departures. The complaint also states that likeness-based merchandise was licensed to outside vendors through a deal described as the Night Shift Master Licensing Agreement, which the plaintiffs say was never provided to them despite requests.
Additional allegations include:
Lindsay Schoolcraft claims the band sold merch using her original Sigils artwork without authorization.
Sasha Baxter says she appeared in Cradle of Filth music videos (“Malignant Perfection” and “To Live Deliciously”), was never paid, and later found merch being sold with her likeness from those shoots.
Zoë Federoff and Ashok Smerda state that they were offered a post-departure contract that would have granted the band exclusive control over their names, likenesses, and all revenue tied to meet-and-greet appearances. They declined to sign.
The suit also contains a defamation claim, alleging Dani Filth publicly stated Federoff drank alcohol while pregnant and implied her miscarriage resulted from alcohol consumption, claims the filing states, which damaged her reputation.
The plaintiffs further assert that merchandise using their images continued to be sold at recent live shows even after objections were raised. No hearing date is set, and the case will not move forward until the defendants file an official response and the court issues a scheduling order.
Feature Image Photo Credit: Jakub Alexandrowicz
