It’s not unusual for performers to face legal issues, and Taylor Swift and Elizabeth Taylor certainly know this from experience.
Taylor Swift is facing a lawsuit over her new album, “The Life of a Showgirl.” Maren Wade, a Las Vegas showgirl and writer, claims Swift intentionally used a name so similar to her own, infringing on her trademark.
In 2014, Wade started a column called “Confessions of a Showgirl” in the Las Vegas Weekly. It later evolved into a live performance, and eventually a touring show. The lawsuit states that over ten years, Wade developed “Confessions of a Showgirl” into a full brand – including performances, writing, and online content – building it up one city and one show at a time. She also used the brand during television and podcast appearances.
Wade, also a performer, acknowledges Swift’s freedom to express herself creatively, and this lawsuit isn’t questioning that. However, the legal filing asserts that while creative expression is protected, that protection doesn’t extend to using a trademark that’s very similar to an existing one, selling products with it, and using it to identify the source of those products.
Music
After releasing the somewhat chaotic album ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ last year, the pop star has teamed up with Max Martin and Shellback for a more polished new project.
In 2015, Maren Flagg registered the title “Confessions of a Showgirl” with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Later, in November 2025, the office rejected Taylor Swift’s team’s application to register “The Life of a Showgirl,” determining it was too similar to Flagg’s already registered title and likely to cause confusion among consumers.
According to patent attorney JD Harriman, the trademark office initially denied Taylor Swift’s trademark application, but she paused the application for “Life of a Showgirl” to allow another application for just “Showgirl” to be processed.
Harriman explained that this lawsuit isn’t actually about the music itself, or even whether there was any misunderstanding. Wade, the person filing the suit, admits she’s not disputing the album, only related merchandise. Furthermore, before taking legal action, she publicly promoted Swift’s album and identified as a fan.
Jaymie Parkkinen, Wade’s lawyer, stated in an email to The Times that Maren dedicated over ten years to creating Confessions of a Showgirl.
Taylor Swift’s attempt to trademark “The Life of a Showgirl” was initially rejected because the Trademark Office thought it was too similar to an existing trademark, according to Parkkinen. While acknowledging Swift’s talent and achievements, Parkkinen emphasized that trademark law is in place to protect the work of all creators, and that’s the core issue in this case.
Entertainment & Arts
Britney Spears has reportedly sold her entire music collection to Primary Wave for around $200 million.
Wade’s legal team claims that Taylor Swift’s recent album release has flooded search results, overshadowing Wade’s established showgirl persona. They argue that because of this, people now mistakenly associate Wade’s brand with Swift’s, even though Wade built her brand over the past ten years.
According to the lawsuit, “The Life of a Showgirl” is just one of over 170 trademarks that TAS manages for Taylor Swift. These trademarks cover a wide range of names, phrases, and branding elements, making it one of the largest trademark collections in the entertainment world.
Taylor Swift’s business isn’t reliant on any one specific name or trademark. However, Wade has built her entire professional reputation over the last ten years solely around the ‘Confessions of a Showgirl’ trademark. It’s not just one of many brands she uses – it’s her only one, and losing it could destroy her professional identity.
In other Swift news, the Grammy winner dropped the music video for “Elizabeth Taylor” on Tuesday.
The video shows old footage of the famous actress – known for her public legal issues, intense media attention on her relationships, and overall celebrity – but doesn’t include the singer herself.
Music
Taylor Swift has responded to rumors suggesting she’ll stop making music to focus on marriage and motherhood, calling the idea ‘shockingly offensive.’
The new video is available only on Spotify Premium and Apple Music and features clips from classic films starring Elizabeth Taylor, including “Father of the Bride,” “Rhapsody,” “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” “Cleopatra,” and “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” It also includes older news footage of the Academy Award-winning actress.
I was so fascinated to hear that Taylor always lets people know if they’re going to be featured in her songs! Apparently, she even went above and beyond for a tribute to a beloved actor who’d passed away – she actually reached out to their estate to get their blessing before writing about them. It just shows how thoughtful and respectful she is.
She explained that if the photograph featured Elizabeth Taylor, they would contact her family and estate to inform them, and they were very understanding and appreciative.
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2026-04-02 07:01