Daddy Yankee has escalated his legal fight with a sweeping federal lawsuit that names his estranged wife, Mireddys González, and former manager Raphy Pina as central figures in what he describes as a long-running scheme to steal his songwriting royalties.
According to Billboard, the 107-page complaint, filed under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, accuses the defendants of orchestrating a coordinated effort to fraudulently divert publishing income from some of the reggaetón star’s most successful records.
According to the lawsuit, Pina—founder of Pina Records—and González allegedly worked together to falsify songwriting “split sheets,” improperly listing Pina as a co-author on more than a dozen Daddy Yankee songs dating back to 2015.
The complaint alleges that this allowed Pina to collect royalties to which he was not entitled. Tracks cited in the filing include “La Rompe Corazones,” “Runaway,” “De Vuelta Pa’ La Vuelta,” and “Vuelve,” which featured Bad Bunny.
“[Pina], with the assistance and acquiescence of co-defendants, systematically misappropriated publishing income,” the complaint states, calling the conduct “a deliberate, sustained and coordinated attack on the integrity of plaintiffs’ publishing operations.”
Daddy Yankee, real name Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez, alleges Pina acted as the “central architect” of the enterprise.
At the same time, he contended that González—who managed his business affairs throughout their more than 20-year marriage—provided the administrative support needed to execute the scheme.
The lawsuit also names music executive Andres Coll-Fernández and attorney Edwin Prado-Galarza as alleged participants. In addition to claims involving Daddy Yankee’s catalog, the filing asserts that Pina employed similar tactics against other artists he managed and alleges that he relied on intimidation to discourage challenges to his practices.
The complaint claims Pina used “threats of violence” to maintain control, describing an atmosphere in which artists felt pressured to remain silent.
This RICO filing follows a series of legal actions that Daddy Yankee has brought against González in connection with their ongoing divorce proceedings, which began in December 2024.
According to the new lawsuit, the alleged royalty fraud came to light during a financial audit conducted after Daddy Yankee regained control of his companies.
The suit seeks an injunction restoring Daddy Yankee’s full publishing rights, along with financial damages of at least $3 million for the alleged misappropriated royalties.
González’s attorney, Roberto Sueiro, denied the allegations, calling them “all a fabrication” and claiming they are intended to influence divorce proceedings.
Requests for comment from Pina and the other named defendants were not immediately returned to Billboard.