Arash “Ash” Pournouri, the former manager of Avicii, has filed a defamation lawsuit against Avicii: True Stories director Levan Tsikurishvili, reigniting long-standing tensions over how the late EDM icon’s story has been told.
Filed in Stockholm District Court, the suit claims the 2017 documentary misrepresents Pournouri’s role in Avicii’s career, specifically accusing the film of portraying him as someone who pressured the legendary DJ to perform against medical advice, the Sweden Herald reports.
Pournouri reportedly plans to pursue the case as a private prosecution against Tsikurishvili. While he had previously raised concerns about the film’s portrayal of him, a recent Instagram post from Tsikurishvili appears to have prompted the legal action.
Although he never specifically mentioned Pournouri, Tsikurishvili stated in his Swedish-language post that the film was about Tim—not anyone else—and claimed that if they had gone deeper into a “certain person’s” role, it would have been “1000% worse” for him.
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While he didn’t specifically mention Tsikurishvili, Pournouri addressed the situation in a statement released on his Instagram and LinkedIn pages, citing “a false external narrative which, out of respect for Tim’s memory and family, I have actively chosen not to engage in.”
“That courtesy has not been extended to me,” Pournouri wrote. “Lies and false accusations by certain individuals continue with the aim of causing me harm and to profit from a tragedy. Consequently, I have been left with no other choice but to file lawsuits with the main objective for the lies to stop and the facts to be known, once and for all.”
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In court documents reviewed by the Herald, Pournouri allegedly argues that Avicii: True Stories was selectively edited in a way that damaged his reputation and career. The amount in damages he is seeking has not been disclosed at the time of this writing.
Tsikurishvili has yet to respond publicly to the lawsuit.
