Singer-songwriter Blackbear is citing free speech in seeking dismissal of multiple allegations against her by a social media personality and influencer who says he took advantage of her youth to manipulate her for his own benefit and induced her to use drugs.
The woman is identified only as Jane Doe in the Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit against the entertainer, whose real name is Matthew Tyler Musto. In court papers filed Wednesday with Judge Stephen Pfahler, Musto is asking that Doe’s claims for non-consensual distribution of intimate images, civil theft, civil exploitation, invasion of privacy, negligence, public disclosure of private facts, civil harassment and stalking and negligent infliction of emotional distress be removed from her case.
The allegations involve activity that is protected by the anti-SLAPP statute because they involve Musto’s exercise of free speech in a public forum about issues of public concern as well as litigation conduct, according to Musto’s attorneys’ court papers.
Specifically, Doe’s claims regard social media posts that Musto allegedly made about or concerning Doe, all of which were subject to widespread attention from Doe’s fans, plus Musto has a million social media followers, according to his lawyers’ court papers.
A hearing on the anti-SLAPP motion is scheduled July 16, but Musto’s attorneys will be before Phaler on Monday asking that the proceeding take place by Feb. 27. The state’s anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) statute is intended to prevent people from using courts, and potential threats of a lawsuit, to intimidate those who are exercising their First Amendment rights.
Doe first met Musto online in 2012 when she was just 17 years old and living in Texas, according to the suit, which further states the plaintiff had “long romanticized the artistic and cultural life of Los Angeles.”
Musto, already an established figure in the music industry, recognized Doe’s youth, vulnerability and admiration and deliberately began engaging with her through social media, the suit alleges.
During the relationship, Musto was manipulative, using controlling and verbally abusive behavior toward her and repeatedly inserted himself into her life by manipulating her romantic relationships and exploiting her emotional connection to him for his own personal gain and publicity, the suit further contends.
According to the suit, Musto has long struggled with severe substance abuse and his erratic behavior escalated during relapse. The alleged trait intensified when Doe was 19 to 20 years old and he provided her with excessive amounts of drugs and alcohol, rendering her incapacitated, disoriented and unable to recall events, the suit states.
“On multiple occasions, Doe awoke naked in Musto’s bed with no memory of what had occurred, leaving her terrified, confused and entirely vulnerable to his control,” according to Doe’s complaint.
In between the on-again, off-again interactions with Musto, Doe also was romantically involved with Luke Hemmings and Lil Peep before the latter’s November 2017 death, the suit states. Musto allegedly convinced Doe to cheat on Hemmings as part of his manipulation of her.
In addition, Musto married and had two children with another woman, the suit further states.
While Musto was receiving treatment for diabetic shock at a facility in December 2024, Doe spoke to him daily and remained sober in solidarity as he showed her songs he claimed were written for and about her, the suit states.
“I’m never able to leave you alone because you’re always mine,” Musto told Doe, according to the complaint.
But allegedly due to Musto’s influence and the destructive environment he created, Doe’s health deteriorated and her weight dropped to 95 pounds, the suit states. In February 2025, he posted on Instagram photos of Doe, one showing her buttocks while tied to a pole, another of her in lingerie and yet another showing one of her feet in his mouth, the suit states.
Musto also pressured Doe into accepting a non-disclosure agreement and presented her with a $16,000 check that bounced, according to the suit, which further states that the plaintiff continues to live with the lasting psychological effects of Musto’s alleged actions.
But in a sworn declaration, the 35-year-old “Nyla” singer says Doe regularly posted “highly stylized and provocative” photographs of herself as part of her public persona. The posts were shared publicly, were visible to anyone who followed her account or encountered her content through social media and often generated significant attention and commentary, according to Musto.
Musto says he met Doe in late 2012 or early 2013, shortly after she moved to California.
“At that time, we spent a substantial amount of time in the same social and creative environment,” Musto says. “We were around each other frequently, both at home and through overlapping friendships.”
Musto says his relationships with Doe were intermittent.
“When two creatives engage in a casual dating relationship, schedules, travel and artistic work often pull people in different directions before they subsequently reconnect through the same social circles,” Musto says.
Regarding Doe’s relationship with Hemmings, Musto says that at the time he and the plaintiff were “simply friends, with an entirely platonic relationship.”
Musto denies he encouraged harassment of Doe, Hemmings or anyone else.
“In short, these reactions from the public came from third parties and unknown individuals, over whom I had no control,” Musto says.