Rick Astley has filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against Yung Gravy and the artists behind his hit single "Betty (Get Money)" for allegedly using an impersonation of his voice. Astley, who rose to prominence with the release of his '80s anthem "Never Gonna Give You Up," claims that the song "conspired to include a deliberate and nearly indistinguishable imitation" of his voice without permission.

The vocalist's legal team argue that although Yung Gravy purchased a license to use the instrumental version of Astley's song, he did not receive permission to use Rick's voice. The lawsuit also alleges that Gravy willfully accepted the risks of copying Astley's voice and stated in an interview with Billboard that he "basically remade" Rick's voice for the song "because it makes it easier legally."

Additionally, Astley's team maintains that the release of the single has damaged future opportunities for the singer to collaborate with other artists. "While defendants have profited from theft of Mr. Astley’s unique vocal property," the court papers read, "Mr. Astley has been deprived of the opportunity to develop a collaborative recording project with an artist of his choice and creative control."

The news follows a long-standing legal precedent dating back to a 1988 case between Bette Midler and Ford Motor Co., wherein Midler sued the company for hiring actors to impersonate her voice over a series of ads without her agreement.

Gravy, who has seen major success with the record, responded that the allegations were "without merit" in an Instagram post.