Las Vegas Showgirls is suing Taylor Swift over her use of “The Life of a Showgirl.”
On March 30, performer Maren Flagg, who goes by the stage name Maren Wade, filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, alleging that Swift and her affiliates infringe on her trademark rights related to Swift’s most recent titles.
The suit names Swift, TAS Rights Management, UMG Recordings, and Bravado International Group Merchandising Services as defendants and alleges they infringed on Wade’s long-running brand, Confessions of a Showgirl.
Wade has spent more than a decade building his brand through live performance, writing and digital media, dating back to a Las Vegas Weekly column in 2014 and later evolving into touring stage productions, according to the complaint. The mark was federally registered in 2015 and has since achieved uncontested status as a legal designation that enhances ownership.
“The similarities between ‘Confessions of a Showgirl’ and ‘Life of a Showgirl’ are readily apparent,” the complaint states, pointing to a shared “Showgirl” structure and arguing that the marks create a similar commercial impression.
The dispute centers on Swift’s use of “The Life of a Showgirl,” which the suit says was adopted in 2025 and quickly rolled out into a wide range of commercial developments, including merchandise and retail partnerships. Wade claims the phrase is used not only as a creative title but also as a trademark to identify the origin of products such as candles, drinkware and apparel.
Swift’s team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The case centers on trademark infringement claims under the Lanham Act, as well as false claims of origin and unfair competition under federal and California law. Wade is seeking a permanent injunction preventing Swift and his team from using the phrase and barring them from damages, profits and attorney’s fees.
“While we have tremendous respect for Swift’s talent and success, trademark law exists to ensure that creators at all levels can protect what they build,” said Wade’s attorney, Jamie Paakinen. “That’s what this case is about.”
Trademark attorney Josh Gerben, who first wrote about the case in a March 30 blog post, said the case presents legitimate challenges.
“(Wade) has a valid basic claim, but I think her chances of success at trial are about 50 percent (at best),” he wrote.
Gerven said Wade’s most powerful argument is probably reverse confusion, a legal theory that comes into play when a dominant brand risks overshadowing an earlier, smaller brand by using a similar name.
“Reverse confusion cases are notoriously difficult (and expensive),” he added. “In practice, cases like this are often resolved before trial.”
He also pointed to potential weaknesses in Wade’s case, including differences in how the two phrases are interpreted by consumers.
“Although “Confessions of a Showgirl” and “The Life of a Showgirl” share a structure, they convey different meanings and impressions,” Garven said.
If the lawsuit moves forward, next steps could include early filings from Swift’s legal team, potential settlement talks, or a lengthy discovery process for both sides to gather evidence regarding consumer confusion and market impact.
Meanwhile, Swift’s trademark application for “The Life of a Showgirl” is currently suspended and pending at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
The USPTO suspended its review due to previous applications, including Wade’s registered trademark and another pending “Showgirl” application related to fragrances.
The agency has already raised concerns that the names are too similar and raised the possibility of confusion. Until these previous applications are resolved and legal arguments are addressed, Swift’s application cannot proceed to registration and its status remains uncertain.
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Taylor Swift reporter Brian West on Instagram, TikTok, and X as @BryanWestTV.
