Does someone need permission to use a celebrity's name in a song?

[Babale]

@ftg

Agree that a song differs little from most other uses of a person’s name in other writings.

But, as usual, it’s not a 100% you’re off the hook thing. For example, if you sing about how a certain celeb raped and killed babies, then a lawsuit is going to happen. It could be considered defamation depending on the overall context. (I.e., is it clearly a fictional statement or would a listener assume you meant it to be true?) So, the usual fun with lawyers.

Given that song lyrics are generally considered fiction, you got a leg up. OTOH, if you said the same things in a newspaper article, look out.

So if Shia LaBeouf can prove that he doesn’t eat human flesh he could sue for slander! The song even makes clear that this isn’t fiction, as LaBeouf is described as an “actual cannibal”!

Rob Cantor Shia LaBeouf Live - Google Search

In all seriousness, clearly Shia LaBeouf didn’t mind the whole thing, but if the original song was written without his knowledge (and I believe it was, IIRC) could the fact that he’s repeatedly referred to as an ACTUAL cannibal be grounds for defamation?