Taylor Swift faces trademark infringement lawsuit by Vegas performer over 'Showgirl' album
Nearly six months after Taylor Swift released her album "The Life of a Showgirl," the pop star is being sued for alleged trademark infringement.
Entertainer Maren Flagg, known professionally as Maren Wade, has filed a lawsuit against Swift, Universal Music Group and Bravado International Group Merchandising Services Inc. for trademark infringement over Swift's 12th studio album, "The Life of a Showgirl," which was released in October 2025.
In the complaint, filed March 30, Flagg, a Las Vegas performer whose trademarked brand Confessions of a Showgirl encompasses a live show, a touring production, a newspaper column for Las Vegas Weekly, and more, claims Swift's album shares similarities and "the same overall commercial impression."
Flagg alleges in the suit that Swift's team "adopted the designation 'The Life of a Showgirl' and began using it in commerce" in 2025, despite sharing "the same structure, the same dominant phrase, and the same overall commercial impression" as Flagg's trademarked brand.
"Within weeks, the designation was affixed to consumer goods, stamped onto labels, tags, and packaging, and deployed as a source identifier across retail channels -- all directed at the same audience Plaintiff had spent years cultivating," the complaint states.
The lawsuit alleges the "similarity between 'Confessions of a Showgirl' and 'The Life of a Showgirl' is immediate," alleging they share "the same structure, the same dominant phrase, and the same overall commercial impression."
"That similarity would not have escaped Defendants' notice," the suit states. "Even a cursory trademark search would have revealed Plaintiff's federally registered mark and her years of continuous prior use."
The complaint further alleges that Swift's team tried to trademark "The Life of a Showgirl," but was denied by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
"When Defendants applied to register THE LIFE OF A SHOWGIRL, the Office refused on the ground that Defendants' designation is confusingly similar to Plaintiff's established mark," the complaint claims. "Defendants were therefore placed on actual notice that their chosen designation was likely to be confused with a mark that already belonged to someone else. They continued using it anyway, expanding it across a coordinated commercial program and distributing it through retail channels reaching millions of consumers."
The suit claims Flagg "was never contacted."
Flagg is asking for an injunction to halt Swift from using the phrase "The Life of a Showgirl," as well as profits from goods using that phrase, legal fees, and a jury trial.
In a statement to ABC News, Flagg's attorney wrote, "Maren spent more than a decade building 'Confessions of a Showgirl.' She registered it. She earned it."
"When Taylor Swift's team applied to register 'The Life of a Showgirl,' the Trademark Office refused, finding Swift's mark confusingly similar," they added. "We have great respect for Swift's talent and success, but trademark law exists to ensure that creators at all levels can protect what they've built. That's what this case is about."
While representatives for Swift did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment, fans of the pop star quickly took to social media to push back against the allegations.
Online observers highlighted multiple social media posts dating back to September 2025, in which Flagg purportedly utilized Swift's music and associated hashtags -- including #TS12 and #thelifeofashowgirl -- while appearing to express excitement and count down to the release of Swift's album.
The lawsuit comes as Swift released a new music video on Tuesday for her song "Elizabeth Taylor," which appears on "The Life of a Showgirl."
The video, which includes clips from the legendary actress's old films and paparazzi footage, was released on Spotify and Apple Music.
