Sabrina Carpenter has been involved in two notable legal matters: a 2017 breach-of-contract lawsuit filed by two former music managers, which settled out of court in 2018, and a 2026 civil harassment case in Los Angeles that ended with a five-year restraining order against a man who repeatedly tried to enter her home.
The 2017 Managers’ Lawsuit
In August 2017, Stan Rogow and Elliot Lurie sued Carpenter, her parents, and her primary manager Bill Perlman in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleging breach of contract over unpaid commissions.1The Hollywood Reporter. Girl Meets World Star Sued by Music Managers The two said they had been wrongly cut out of earnings from Carpenter’s early music career after being fired in 2014.
Perlman had signed Carpenter first. In 2011, Rogow and Lurie came aboard under a music management agreement giving them 50 percent of Perlman’s commissions in exchange for expanding her music-industry representation.2Billboard. Girl Meets World Star Sabrina Carpenter Sued In the complaint, Rogow claimed he personally helped land Carpenter’s role on Disney’s Girl Meets World by contacting a network executive.1The Hollywood Reporter. Girl Meets World Star Sued by Music Managers
The complaint said Carpenter’s camp terminated Rogow and Lurie in August 2014 “without cause.” Their attorney, Neville Johnson, wrote that the managers “worked tirelessly to promote Sabrina and her music” before being let go.2Billboard. Girl Meets World Star Sabrina Carpenter Sued The suit alleged a separate termination and release agreement still entitled them to a continuing stake in Carpenter’s gross earnings and advances tied to her albums Eyes Wide Open and Evolution, along with her five-album deal with Hollywood Records.1The Hollywood Reporter. Girl Meets World Star Sued by Music Managers The plaintiffs sought unspecified damages and restitution.
The case never reached trial. A notice of settlement was filed on June 27, 2018, followed by a request for dismissal on August 22, 2018.3UniCourt. Stan Rogow et al vs Sabrina Carpenter et al The settlement terms were not made public.
The “Sue Me” Song
Carpenter wrote about the experience. Her track “Sue Me,” on her 2018 album Singular: Act I, was inspired by the lawsuit. She later told Vogue: “The first time I ever got sued, I wrote a song called ‘Sue Me.’ Taking personal situations in my life and being able to turn them into art was always a way of healing myself, and also understanding those situations a bit better.”4Vogue UK. Sabrina Carpenter Interview: Emails I Can’t Send
The 2026 Restraining Order
The second matter was not a lawsuit Carpenter was defending but one she brought. Beginning around April 20, 2026, 31-year-old William Applegate started parking near Carpenter’s Hollywood Hills home and moved progressively closer to the property over the following weeks.5NBC News. Sabrina Carpenter Restraining Order Stalker Tried Home Los Angeles On May 23, he allegedly breached security fencing, approached the front door, and tried to force it open. Confronted by a security guard, Applegate reportedly said Carpenter was “expecting him,” refused to leave, and allegedly struck the guard before officers arrested him for criminal trespass. He allegedly came back the next day and again on May 25.6ABC7 New York. Sabrina Carpenter Files Restraining Order Against Alleged Stalker
On May 29, 2026, Carpenter filed for a civil harassment restraining order under California Code of Civil Procedure § 527.6, which lets courts protect people from stalking, credible threats of violence, or conduct causing substantial emotional distress.7NBC Los Angeles. Sabrina Carpenter Restraining Order Her petition included her own declaration citing “severe and ongoing emotional distress” and a declaration from an LAPD detective specializing in threat management, who described Applegate as “mentally unstable” and posing “a clear, credible and ongoing threat.”5NBC News. Sabrina Carpenter Restraining Order Stalker Tried Home Los Angeles
A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge granted a temporary restraining order on June 1, 2026, keeping Applegate 100 yards from Carpenter, her sister Sarah Carpenter, and Sarah’s partner, and covering Carpenter’s workplace and vehicle.8The Guardian. Sabrina Carpenter Stalker Restraining Order At a June 17, 2026 hearing, Judge David L. Wasserman converted it into a five-year order with the same 100-yard distance, a ban on any attempt to contact Carpenter, and a prohibition on possessing firearms.9ABC7. Sabrina Carpenter Gets 5-Year Restraining Order