Alanis Morissette has taken legal action against her former tour manager, accusing her of engaging in a deliberate blackmail scheme to falsely implicate Morissette in drug trafficking unless she agreed to a lengthy contract. 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.
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, a bag owned by Urinov was flagged by a British Border Force official at the airport, leading to her arrest on suspicion of possessing marijuana and xylazine, an animal tranquilizer. Urinov was later released after presenting her Israeli medical marijuana license to the authorities.
Following the tour, Urinov allegedly sent a series of threatening letters to Morissette, demanding a fixed 15-year contract with substantial pay and benefits, along with assistance in obtaining a work visa for the United States. The lawsuit also highlights instances where Morissette felt that Urinov mismanaged the tour, including significant financial losses due to errors and misleading information provided by Urinov about her past.
Despite being hesitant to take legal action, Morissette felt compelled to sue to expose Urinov’s actions and prevent further coercion. The lawsuit emphasizes Morissette’s refusal to work with an incompetent individual engaging in extortion and seeks a trial by jury. Requests for comments from Urinov and Morissette’s representatives have not been responded to by CBC News.