Alanis Morissette has initiated legal action against her former tour manager, accusing her of engaging in a deliberate blackmail scheme to incriminate Morissette in drug trafficking unless the Canadian artist agreed to sign a lengthy contract with her.
The lawsuit, filed in California and obtained by CBC News, alleges that Keren Urinov threatened to report Morissette to British authorities for drug trafficking unless Morissette hired her as a tour director for 15 years and paid her substantial compensation.
Morissette is suing Urinov for civil extortion, fraud, and negligent misrepresentation. In the lawsuit, Morissette asserts that she will not be coerced into providing her blackmailer with a substantial payout and has taken legal action to expose Urinov’s scheme and hold her accountable.
The events leading to the lawsuit unfolded when Urinov, who previously worked for Live Nation’s Israeli operations, was hired as a temporary tour manager for Morissette’s world tour in 2025. During a trip from the U.K. to Spain for a concert, Urinov was reportedly arrested at the airport after a bag she claimed ownership of was flagged by British Border Force officials for containing marijuana and xylazine, a non-opioid animal tranquilizer.
Despite Urinov admitting ownership of the bag and drugs, presenting her Israeli medical marijuana license, and being subsequently released, she allegedly sent a series of threatening letters to Morissette after the tour concluded. These letters demanded a fixed 15-year contract with substantial compensation and additional perks, including assistance with obtaining a work visa for the United States.
The lawsuit also details instances where Morissette felt Urinov mishandled the 2025 tour, including significant financial losses due to managerial errors and misleading information about Urinov’s past arrests for drug-related offenses in Latin America.
Morissette, described as “reluctant” but with no alternative, decided to pursue legal action against Urinov to prevent being coerced into a long-term partnership with someone she deems incompetent and manipulative. The lawsuit seeks a trial by jury, with CBC News attempting to reach out to Urinov and Morissette’s representatives for comment.
