The battle with Cradle of Filth continues – this time with a lawsuit

This summer, the unpleasant scenario involving Cradle Of Filth and a number of now-former members unfolded spectacularly in front of the public, as reported by theprp. Midway through the band’s tour, keyboardist/vocalist Zoe Marie Federoff left on August 24. Although her initial exit statement was vague, she later made more accusations in public about Cradle Of Filth frontman Dani Filth and the band’s management, The Oracle Management, which is led by Coal Chamber/DevilDriver vocalist Bradley “Dez” Fafara and his wife Anahstasia. Federoff’s husband, Marek “Ashok” Smerda, the group’s guitarist at the time, continued to be a member of Cradle Of Filth despite his wife’s departure, but he became more and more critical of the band, which resulted in his dismissal from the band a few days later.

Following the turmoil, the couple made a number of accusations on social media against Cradle Of Filth and their management. These include claims of a “threatening” workplace, inadequate pay for services provided, and more. Federoff even publicized a pretty harsh previous contract that the band had offered, saying that the couple refused to sign it. In response, Filth made obscene accusations against Federoff and Smerda around the end of August, including conversations with Fafara. In those remarks, Filth alleged that the pair had abused alcohol, that Smerda had disparaged Sharon Osbourne, and other things.

The two opposing parties issued their final remarks in September as they started to intensify their public conflict. However, rumors that a number of former members of Cradle Of Filth have now banded together to bring a lawsuit against the band’s singer Dani Filth, its affiliated businesses, and The Oracle Management surfaced on Reddit on November 26. The lawsuit was filed in Arizona on September 30, 2025, but it was most recently modified on November 20. In addition to Marek and Zoe Federoff Smerda, the plaintiffs also include a number of other former Cradle of Filth members. Among them is Paul Allender, who played guitar for the group for two periods, from 1992 to 1995 and from 1999 until 2014.

Richard Shaw, who played guitar for the band from 2014 to 2022, and Lindsay Matheson (also known as Lindsay Schoolcraft), who performed keyboards and vocals for the group from 2013 to 2020, are both named as plaintiffs in the lawsuit. Another plaintiff is Sasha Baxter, also known as Sasha Massacre, who appeared in two of the band’s music videos. Defendants include Cradle Of Filth Touring Limited and Cradle Of Filth LLP in addition to Dani Filth (also known as Daniel Lloyd Davey) and The Oracle Management. Allegations of copyright infringement, right of publicity/misappropriation of likeness, defamation, unjust enrichment, false designation of origin, and conversion were filed against those defendants by the aforementioned group of plaintiffs.

• The unlawful and continuous commercial exploitation of all Plaintiffs’ pictures and likenesses in products
• Unpaid royalties for live performances owed to Plaintiffs Federoff and Smerda
• Unpaid royalties for Federoff, Smerda, and Matheson’s performances in musical sound recordings
• The defendants’ unapproved use of Plaintiff Matheson’s copyrighted works
• The denigration of Plaintiffs Federoff and Smerda after they stopped working with the Defendants
• Plaintiff Baxter’s appearances in the music videos for “Malignant Perfection” and “To Live Deliciously” resulted in unjust enrichment
• Unjust gain from the commercial exploitation of Plaintiff Federoff and Plaintiff Smerda during in-person events (i.e., meet and greets)
• Defamatory remarks directed at Federoff and Smerda, including claims that Federoff miscarried as a result of drinking alcohol

Federoff, Smerda, Matheson, Allender, and Shaw claim they were not appropriately compensated for their likeness appearing on Cradle Of Filth items since they never signed or executed any agreement authorizing the use of their names, likenesses, or photos on the band’s merchandise. Federoff, Smerda, and Matheson further assert that they never signed any contract pertaining to their participation in recorded pieces from the band’s catalog. For their individual recordings with the band, which took place between 2017 and 2023, Smerda, Shaw, and Matheson allege they were mainly underpaid.

Shaw, however, claimed that in 2023 he received about £500 for sound recordings. The unapproved use of sigils that Matheson allegedly produced while she was a member of the band and that the band was not given permission to use is another important aspect of the case. This lawsuit claimed that the band continued to utilize the aforementioned sigils notwithstanding this lack of license. In the meantime, Baxter appears in two of the band’s music videos and asserts that she was not paid for her participation in them or the accompanying merchandise that she claims the band sold without her consent.

Refusals to grant access to accounting and licensing agreements pertaining to merchandise and relevant sound recordings, including a publishing agreement with Peer Music, are among the other allegations made against the band and company. Additionally, a number of members claim they were denied accounting for meet-and-greets. Federoff’s microphone was allegedly destroyed, and her in-ear monitors were not returned, according to another complaint. Additionally, Federoff and Smerda claim they were not paid for what turned out to be their last live appearances with the band in August of this year.

In order to hold the defendants accountable for allegedly misappropriating their likeness, the plaintiffs are collectively requesting a number of orders that would prohibit the sale of any goods bearing their likeness or related images going forward and require the destruction of any remaining stock. Unjust enrichment allegations have been made about sound recordings, merchandise, and music videos, and they also want to hold Dani Filth and company accountable for conversion with reference to the lost or damaged audio equipment.

Additionally, they are requesting compensatory damages for any consequential damages, including lost revenue, business prospects, emotional suffering, and reputational harm. Furthermore, they are demanding the expense of their legal bills as well as punitive damages large enough to discourage the defendants from pursuing any of the claimed violating activities. In this case, a jury trial is being demanded. The most recent version of the complaint was submitted on November 20th, 2025, and has since appeared online at jottacloud.com. It includes a variety of images and supporting documentation from the plaintiffs.