Six former Cradle of Filth members now suing the band and Dani Filth

Six former members of Cradle of Filth are now jointly suing the band and its management, according to court filings submitted in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona. 

The plaintiffs now include Zoë Federoff, Marek “Ashok” Smerda, Lindsay Schoolcraft (Lindsay Matheson), Richard Shaw, Paul Allender, and Sasha Baxter, and the defendants are listed as Cradle of Filth LLP, Cradle of Filth Touring Ltd., Daniel “Dani” Filth, and Oracle Management.

The lawsuit centers on the alleged commercial use of former members’ likenesses and recorded performances after their departures from the band. The complaint states that merchandise, vinyl, posters, online listings, and paid meet-and-greet materials continued to include the plaintiffs’ images without permission or payment.

The filing also claims that likeness-based merchandise has been licensed to outside vendors and distributed through third-party sales channels. 

It references a licensing deal described as the Night Shift Master Licensing Agreement and states that the plaintiffs requested a copy of the agreement but were not provided one.

Several individual allegations are included:

• Lindsay Schoolcraft says merch has been sold using her original “Sigils” artwork without authorization.
• Sasha Baxter claims she appeared in the music videos for “Malignant Perfection” and “To Live Deliciously,” was not paid for those performances, and later found merchandise for sale using her image from the videos.
• Zoë Federoff and Marek “Ashok” Smerda claim they were offered a post-departure contract that would have granted the band exclusive control over their likenesses, recorded appearances, and revenue from VIP and meet-and-greet events featuring their names and images. The filing says they declined to sign the contract.

The lawsuit also includes a defamation claim. One section alleges that Dani Filth publicly stated that Federoff drank alcohol while pregnant and implied that her miscarriage was caused by alcohol consumption, which the filing says harmed her reputation.

The document further states that merchandise featuring the plaintiffs’ likenesses continued to be sold during recent touring, including at in-person shows, after objections had been raised.

No hearing date has been set. The case will not move forward until an answer is filed and the court issues its first scheduling order.

Lambgoat will continue to follow the case and report updates as new filings appear on the docket.