Muni Long Wins Court Ruling Blocking Ex-Managers From Accessing Her Medical Records

Grammy-winning singer Muni Long has won a federal court ruling blocking her former managers from obtaining her medical records in a defamation dispute over her allegation that they tried to have her involuntarily committed to a mental health facility.

In an October 8, 2026, order, U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn ruled that Chaka Zulu and Jeff Dixon, who run Ebony Son Entertainment, cannot obtain Long's treatment records from Cleveland Clinic or demand them directly from the singer. The managers may still question her about the circumstances of her admission as they pursue their claims.

Netburn also directed the managers to notify Cleveland Clinic that its subpoena should be disregarded, preventing disclosure of records concerning Long's diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment. The ruling leaves them able to seek non-medical evidence related to the disputed hospitalization.

The decision stems from a lawsuit filed in October 2025 by Ebony Son Entertainment, which accused Long, whose legal name is Priscilla Renea Hamilton, of withholding more than $600,000 in management commissions after ending their professional relationship. The company alleged that the singer breached her contractual obligations and failed to pay money owed under their agreement.

Long's representatives responded with allegations that Zulu and Dixon had taken her phone and attempted to have her involuntarily committed to a psychiatric facility when she needed treatment for a lupus flare-up.

In January 2026, Long brought counterclaims involving her alleged hospitalization at Cleveland Clinic Indian River Behavioral Health Center in March 2024. She claimed the managers' actions caused severe pain and emotional distress during her stay at the facility.

Long subsequently withdrew the allegation from her legal claims, but the dispute over the hospitalization continued. In September, Zulu and Dixon added a defamation claim, alleging that her public accusations were false and had damaged their professional reputations.

Their attorneys then sought records documenting Long's admission and treatment, arguing that the material could establish whether the singer had been involuntarily committed and whether the managers were responsible. They maintained that Long had waived her medical privilege by introducing her mental health into the litigation.

Netburn agreed that Long's original counterclaim had placed her medical condition at issue and would have waived the applicable privilege. However, because she withdrew that claim before disclosing the records, the judge found that the protection was restored.

The managers' subsequent defamation allegations did not independently give them access to Long's confidential medical information. Although their attorneys argued that the records might provide the strongest contemporaneous evidence supporting their position, Netburn ruled that their potential relevance did not override the privilege.

The judge allowed the managers to pursue questions about the circumstances surrounding Long's admission, including non-medical information relevant to their defense. Her order prevents them from obtaining the underlying treatment records through discovery, even as they continue challenging the accuracy of her public statements.

The ruling resolves the immediate dispute over access to Long's medical information while leaving the broader litigation intact. Ebony Son Entertainment continues pursuing its claims concerning allegedly unpaid commissions, and the managers' defamation allegations remain before the court.

Long is also pursuing claims that Zulu and Dixon breached their fiduciary duties in their management relationship. The parties may continue gathering permitted evidence as the court addresses the remaining contract, defamation, and fiduciary-duty disputes.