Ash Pournouri’s lawsuit against Avicii’s estate and surviving family members has been dismissed by a Swedish Court. Pournouri stated he has now been forced to file a full claim.
Last year, Avicii‘s former manager, Arash “Ash” Pournouri, took to social media to announce his plans to take legal action regarding narratives that he played a role in the artist’s burnout. As of March 4, the lawsuit he filed in December has been dismissed by Judge Rantén of a Swedish district court.
According to Pournouri’s lawsuit, he was defamed in a Netflix documentary and two posthumously released books, which violated an agreement he had made with Avicii, aka Tim Bergling, that allegedly prevented him from speaking about the partnership. The two had ended their professional relationship in 2016, which is when the document was signed
The suit pointed specifically at the 2016 documentary Avicii: True Stories, as well as Tim: The Official Biography of Avicii and Avicii: The Life and Music of Tim Bergling, books released in 2021 and 2024, respectively. Pournouri’s claims were that his depictions were “inaccurate” and “amount to character assassination.”
Thomas Olsson, the lawyer for the Avicii entities, said the court’s decision to dismiss the lawsuit was because Pournouri’s filing didn’t meet the requirements and that it “was not entirely unexpected.”
“It was quite obvious that this was a completely unfounded lawsuit, and it is only regrettable that Arash Pournouri is trying to squeeze out the last drops of attention that can be obtained from this case,” said Thomas Olsson. “One can only hope that this is a clear message to him to leave this matter behind.”
“I just want to say how sad it is to see Tim’s name used in this context,” said Klas Bergling, Avicii’s father. “This process has raised strong emotions and a lot of discomfort for me and Tim’s mother Anki. At the same time, we cannot understand Arash. We have said it several times since 2018, also in public: neither I nor Tim’s mother have ever blamed Arash for Tim’s suicide.”
Pournouri stated to Rolling Stone that the lawsuit was dismissed by Judge Rantén was only done on “procedural grounds” and that Olsson has mischaracterized the dismissal. “The matter is being appealed to the Svea Court of Appeal and is ongoing,” he said.
“I deliberately chose a declaratory action without any claim for damages, specifically to avoid burdening the other side with a heavier process than necessary,” Pournouri. “If the system now forces me into a full claim with all financial and IP consequences attached, that will be a result of the system requirements, not my preference or choice. I remain committed to having the factual record established through the proper legal process.”