Alanis Morissette Claims Drug Seizure Fueled 'Calculated Blackmail Campaign:' Lawsuit

LOS ANGELES, CA — Grammy-winning singer Alanis Morissette sued a former tour manager Tuesday, alleging in Los Angeles federal court that she was the victim of a "calculated blackmail campaign" involving a bag allegedly containing drugs that was seized at an airport in the United Kingdom last year.

According to the complaint, while temporarily employed to manage a Morissette tour, defendant Keren Urinov admitted to the British Border Force that a bag seized at an airport in the U.K. that allegedly contained marijuana and the animal tranquilizer xylazine belonged to her, not the singer.

Morissette alleges that Urinov now threatens to report to the British authorities that the bag actually belonged to Morissette and the singer committed drug trafficking — unless the entertainer agrees to employ Urinov as a tour director for 15 years and pay her "massive compensation," the suit states.

"Morissette will not be coerced into delivering her blackmailer an extraordinary payday," according to the lawsuit alleging civil extortion and fraud. "She sues to expose Urinov's scheme and hold her accountable."

Urinov's attorney could not immediately be reached for comment.

An ex-head of operations at Live Nation Israel, Urinov filed a claim in the U.K.'s High Court last month against the Los Angeles-based Morissette, according to published reports.

Morissette's allegations stem from last year, when Urinov was hired to serve as a temporary tour manager for an upcoming tour.

On July 12, 2025, Morissette and her team, including Urinov, were due to fly from Farnborough Airport in the U.K. to Spain for one of Morissette's concerts. According to the suit, a British Border Force official at the airport flagged a bag for further inspection and asked who owned the bag. Urinov spoke up, claiming the bag was hers, the lawsuit states.

Later, Morissette alleges, Urinov told the singer and her team that the Border Force had arrested her and issued her a seizure notice alleging that the bag contained marijuana and xylazine. During questioning by officials, Urinov admitted to the Border Force that the bag and its contents, including the alleged drugs, belonged to her, the lawsuit contends.

The lawsuit alleges Urinov said she showed the Border Force her Israeli medical marijuana license, the bag was returned and she was released. The next day, the suit states, Urinov flew to Barcelona to rejoin the tour. Morissette, Urinov and the rest of the team flew back to the United Kingdom the same day.

After landing, Border Force officers detained Urinov for further questioning about the bag that had been seized the previous day, according to the complaint. Later, Urinov told Morissette and her team that she had once again admitted to the Border Force that the bag and the alleged drugs inside belonged to her, the lawsuit alleges.

"After the tour ended, Urinov and her attorney sent a series of increasingly extortionate letters to Morissette," the lawsuit contends. "Urinov threatened to file a patently frivolous lawsuit against Morissette in the United Kingdom for unspecified claims if Morissette refused to tell British law enforcement that the alleged drugs were hers. However, Urinov communicated, Morissette could put `an end to the matter' by entering into a fixed-term, full- time employment contract of fifteen years with Urinov, under which Urinov would receive an income equivalent to that of a tour director with annual increases and bonuses."

Morissette contends that Urinov also demanded that Morissette arrange for an immigration attorney to obtain a work visa that would allow Urinov, an Israeli citizen, to work in the United States. If a visa could not be obtained, Urinov demanded additional compensation, the lawsuit alleges.

"Morissette is not interested in employing Urinov for fifteen years — not only because she is a blackmailer, but also because she was a terrible manager of the 2025 tour," according to the lawsuit.

After Morissette refused Urinov's alleged demands, the ex-tour manager's lawyers "responded with a carefully worded letter that clearly implied that Urinov would report Morissette to the British authorities for drug trafficking in addition to suing her unless she capitulated to Urinov's demands for employment and compensation," the complaint said.

Xylazine, commonly known on the street as "tranq," is a non-opioid animal tranquilizer and central nervous system depressant that is approved only for veterinary use.

Canadian-born Morissette had a string of chart-topping singles in the 1990s, including "You Oughta Know," "Hand in My Pocket" and "Ironic." She won the 1996 album of the year Grammy for her debut disc, "Jagged Little Pill."

She is scheduled to perform a string of dates in November at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood.

By Fred Shuster, City News Service