The music business is having to get used to fighting online defamation campaigns waged against artists on social media.
In 2022, Cardi B won a multi-million-dollar federal libel case against a YouTuber for what the court determined were false and defamatory statements.
More recently, K-pop giant HYBE, home to BTS and other major acts, has taken legal action seeking to unmask multiple anonymous YouTubers allegedly spreading misinformation about its artists, including claims about their personal lives and business practices.
With AI-generated deepfakes accelerating the spread of false narratives, the lines between legitimate criticism and calculated character assassination have become increasingly blurred.
The latest story in this trend reminds us that the music industry’s most recognizable figures, with multi-decade careers, are not immune.
Web Sheriff, a global online protection firm whose past clients include Prince, Bob Dylan, and Beyoncé, has completed a wide-reaching investigation into what it describes as a “decades-long campaign of fraud, disinformation, and defamation” – targeting Morrissey.
In a statement sent to MBW, Web Sheriff says that it has identified a “person of interest” behind the alleged online harassment campaign, and expects to identify additional perpetrators “imminently, in both Britain and Europe, as well as the United States”.
The company claims to have uncovered evidence of a “sophisticated attempt to associate the artist with false narratives designed to defame him and distort his [character]”.
Adds Web Sheriff: “The purpose of the fraud appears to be aimed at supporting the perpetrators of racist and far-right ideology by falsely associating an influential artist with their diatribe.”
‘Distressing, harmful and libellous’ allegations
The Web Sheriff announcement coincides with legal action already underway on behalf of Morrissey against one alleged perpetrator.
A cease-and-desist letter dated March 31, 2025, obtained by MBW, reveals that Morrissey has instructed law firm Levy & McRae to take action against a UK-based individual allegedly operating multiple social media accounts dedicated to posting “distressing, harmful and libellous” content about the artist.
The letter, addressed to the alleged perpetrator, accuses them of operating social media accounts that have posted “an enormous amount of material about our client on an almost daily basis and, in turn, multiple times per day”.
Levy & McRae‘s legal letter makes the serious claim that the alleged perpetrator not only engaged in online harassment but also “left and/or posted written notes at and to the home of our client” – actions that were apparently captured on CCTV.
The firm further suggests that the individual’s actions have “directly endangered” members of Morrissey’s family, putting them “at substantial risk of physical and emotional harm, alongside online attacks and reputational damage”.
Levy & McRae has reported the matter to the police.
The legal letter is particularly focused on the political dimension of these social media updates, stating: “The narrative of your posts almost exclusively relates to ‘far right’ politics, and in particular, those politics which are the antithesis of our client and what he has always stood for and represented.”
It describes Morrissey as “a pacifist, apolitical and [someone who] has never joined a political party or voted”.
The letter further accuses the alleged perpetrator of falsely characterizing Morrissey’s family members as having far-right sympathies and of managing the artist’s unofficial social media accounts – accounts that the letter claims were “largely of your malicious creation”.
“The narrative of your posts almost exclusively relates to ‘far right’ politics, and in particular, those politics which are the antithesis of our client.”
Levy & McRae legal letter
The letter continues: “You are creating and perpetuating a harmful global narrative that is inaccurate, defamatory and has driven the media to repeat these falsehoods.”
This points to a provocative question for music fans and media alike: to what extent may recent public narratives surrounding Morrissey’s politics have been influenced by an alleged campaign of mischaracterization?
Morrissey’s For Britain Controversy
The former Smiths frontman attracted criticism in recent years after backing the now-defunct fringe political group For Britain and wearing their badge during a performance on Jimmy Fallon in 2019.
For Britain is widely reported as being associated with far-right politics, though Morrissey has repeatedly denied any personal far-right affiliations.
In a 2018 blog post on the matter, Morrissey stated: “I despise racism. I despise fascism. I would do anything for my Muslim friends, and I know they would do anything for me.”
“I despise racism. I despise fascism. I would do anything for my Muslim friends, and I know they would do anything for me.”
Morrissey blog post, 2018
In January 2023, he published another statement on his website: “Although the Left changed and deserted me many years ago, I am most certainly not Far Right, and I have not ever met anyone who claims to be Far Right.”
Last month, a Sunday Times article written by Will Hodgkinson quoted Morrissey’s former manager, Pete Galli, addressing the artist’s one-time support for For Britain and its founder, Anne Marie Waters.
Said Galli: “Morrissey is an animal rights guy first and foremost, and Anne Marie Waters wanted to bring animal rights onto her platform. That’s why he liked her. He didn’t really take on board the other stuff, and I think he ended up feeling kind of duped.”
Immediate removal request
In its letter, Morrissey’s legal team demands the immediate removal of all content referencing Morrissey across the alleged perpetrator’s social media platforms and blogs.
It also demands a written undertaking to “cease and desist from writing any material whatsoever about our client online for all time coming.”
A draft undertaking, attached to the legal letter, would prohibit the individual from approaching Morrissey “by whatever means, whether in person, by mail, correspondence or any form of communication,” or attending any events where he is present or performing.
The Morrissey harassment case highlights the increasing difficulties public figures face in the digital age, where information — true or false — can be disseminated globally with little accountability.
Web Sheriff’s investigation represents what the company calls “a crucial step in challenging this growing menace”.
According to Web Sheriff, Morrissey “maintains a minimal online presence and does not own a smartphone” and has reportedly “never engaged with those targeting him”.
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