Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Taylor Swift’s Team Calls Trademark Suit Over The Life of a Showgirl “Absurd” and “Meritless”
Swift’s lawyers called a trademark suit over The Life of a Showgirl "absurd" and asked a judge to deny an injunction blocking album merchandise.
Taylor Swift’s lawyers filed their first court response on May 6, pushing back against a trademark lawsuit that seeks to block sales of merchandise tied to her new album, The Life of a Showgirl.
The opposition papers, filed by Venable LLP and obtained by Billboard, argue that Maren Wade, who performs under the name Maren Flagg and runs a Las Vegas cabaret called “Confessions of a Showgirl,” is attempting to capitalize on Swift’s audience rather than showing legitimate confusion between the two brands.
Taylor Swift accepts the Pop Album of the Year award onstage at the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 26, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartRadio
Flagg asked a federal court for an immediate injunction to stop Swift from selling album merchandise while the trademark dispute proceeds. Swift’s attorneys say granting such relief would cost “tens of millions of dollars” in lost revenue and should be denied.
The filing accuses Flagg of “embraced and sought to associate herself” with The Life of a Showgirl to get a promotional boost. Counsel cite more than 40 posts across Flagg’s Instagram and TikTok accounts that use Swift’s music and hashtags such as #thelifeofashowgirl, #TS12, #taylorswift and #swifties.
“Far from showing any concern about the album after its announcement, Ms. Flagg spent several months centering her brand on The Life of a Showgirl’s name, artwork, music and lyrics to promote her little-known cabaret show,” the filing states. “When plaintiff’s attempts to exploit Ms. Swift’s intellectual property failed to garner the desired attention … she concocted a meritless lawsuit.”
Swift’s lawyers contend that Flagg is the one misusing Swift’s intellectual property and that they “will be pursuing appropriate remedies for that intentional, commercial misuse.” The strategy echoes Swift’s response to a 2021 trademark dispute with Utah’s Evermore Park, in which Swift countersued the theme park for playing her music without licenses; both cases later ended with no money changing hands.
The May 6 papers also press two legal defenses. First, Swift’s team argues the album and its merchandise are tied to First Amendment–protected expression and cites last year’s Lady Gaga ruling, in which a court denied an injunction stopping sales of Mayhem album merchandise amid a trademark fight. Second, they say there is no likelihood of consumer confusion between the cabaret act and Swift’s album.
“It is widely known that Ms. Swift’s fanbase is a dedicated and informed set of consumers,” the filing reads. “There is no chance they would be confused between plaintiff’s cabaret shows and Ms. Swift’s album and related promotional merchandise.”
Counsel also details visual and conceptual differences between the marks, including dominant terms, fonts, color schemes, spacing and meanings. The filing calls it “absurd” to liken Flagg’s cabaret performances to Swift’s large-scale stadium tours, noting Swift performs at sold-out stadiums rather than cabaret-style venues.
On the trademark front, Swift’s team notes the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued a nonfinal refusal to register The Life of a Showgirl because of a perceived likelihood of confusion with Flagg’s prior mark. The lawyers emphasize the office action is not final and that the trademark process is ongoing.
Next steps
Flagg’s lawyers will have an opportunity to respond. A federal judge is scheduled to hear the injunction request on May 27 in Los Angeles.
In a statement on May 7, Flagg’s attorney Jaymie Parkkinen responded to Swift’s filing: “We read it. Defendants assert First Amendment protection for napkins and hairbrushes. We look forward to filing our response next week.”
