Alanis Morissette is suing her former tour manager, accusing her of fraud, extortion and negligent misrepresentation.
The singer has filed a lawsuit against Keren Urinov, claiming she was the target of what she describes as a “calculated blackmail campaign” following an incident involving drugs at a UK airport.
According to the lawsuit, the trouble began in July 2025, when Urinov was working as Morissette's temporary tour manager.
Morissette claims Urinov was stopped and detained by British Border Force officials at Farnborough Airport while travelling with the singer's touring party. A bag was allegedly flagged for inspection and was found to contain marijuana and xylazine, an animal tranquiliser which can also be misused.
The lawsuit claims Urinov told British authorities that the bag and its contents belonged to her. She allegedly showed officials an Israeli medical marijuana licence and was subsequently released.
Morissette claims Urinov was detained again when she returned to the UK the following day, and again told authorities that the bag and alleged drugs belonged to her.
However, according to the lawsuit, the situation changed after Morissette's 2025 tour ended.
The singer alleges that Urinov and her lawyer began sending a series of letters threatening legal action and demanding that Morissette tell British authorities that the drugs actually belonged to her.
Morissette claims Urinov offered a way to “put an end to the matter”: a 15-year, full-time contract as Morissette's tour director, with significant compensation, annual increases and bonuses.
The lawsuit also claims Urinov wanted Morissette to hire an immigration lawyer to help her obtain a US work visa, with further compensation allegedly requested if a visa could not be secured.
Morissette refused the demands.
In the lawsuit, the singer says she had no interest in employing Urinov for another 15 years, describing her former manager as an “incompetent blackmailer” and claiming she was also a poor manager during the 2025 tour.
One alleged mistake involved a hotel booking which Morissette claims cost her around $70,000 to rectify.
The lawsuit also contains another allegation about Urinov's past.
Morissette claims that during the tour, Urinov told members of her team that she had previously been arrested in Ecuador over an alleged drug-smuggling incident involving a surfboard. According to the lawsuit, Urinov was released on bail before allegedly leaving the country illegally.
Morissette claims this was significant because Urinov had allegedly told the singer's team during her job interview that there was nothing in her background that would cause problems with international travel or obtaining visas.
The singer is now seeking more than $75,000 in compensatory damages, as well as punitive damages, and has requested a jury trial.
The case was filed in the US District Court for the Central District of California on Tuesday, September 1.
There is also a legal claim involving the two women in the UK. Billboard reports that Urinov filed a claim against Morissette in London on August 19, although details of that case have not yet been made public.
Urinov's legal representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Morissette's allegations.
Morissette has described the lawsuit as something she filed reluctantly, saying she felt she had no choice but to take legal action rather than agree to what she calls a ransom demand.
The allegations have not been proven in court, and the case is ongoing.
