Taylor Swift Calls ‘Showgirl’ Suit ‘Absurd’
Ms. Taylor Swift’s legal team has filed a sharp rebuttal in a trademark dispute brought by a former Las Vegas showgirl, rejecting efforts to restrict sales linked to Swift’s album title “The Life of a Showgirl”. The filing, made on Wednesday, challenges a request for immediate court intervention and argues the case should not have been brought.
Ms. Maren Flagg, who performs as Maren Wade, sued in March alleging Swift’s album title infringes her 2015 trademark for the phrase “Confessions of a Showgirl” and has asked a judge to block Swift from selling related merchandise while the case proceeds, Page Six reported.
In the brief, Swift’s lawyers said the motion and lawsuit “should never have been filed” and accused Flagg of attempting to “use Taylor Swift’s name and intellectual property to prop up her brand”. They also described as “absurd” any comparison between Flagg’s cabaret work and Swift’s album, arguing there is no realistic risk the public would confuse the two.
Swift’s legal team further alleged that Flagg began using the phrase “the life of a showgirl” in promotional posts only after the album announcement, claiming she mentioned Swift or the album more than 40 times across branded social accounts. The dispute comes as Swift’s wider commercial footprint continues to expand, including recent reporting that she topped Spotify’s all-time streaming list.
Flagg’s attorney, Mr. Jaymie Parkkinen, said the pair intend to press on and criticised Swift’s reliance on First Amendment protections in its arguments. The court is expected to receive a response from Flagg’s side next, as both parties continue to contest whether the album title and related merchandising create trademark confusion.
