Las Vegas Performer Files Trademark Lawsuit Against Taylor Swift Over ‘Showgirl’ Album
Maren Wade is suing Swift over her 2025 album ‘The Life of a Showgirl,’ claiming similarities to her trademarked work.
Grammy-award winning singer and songwriter Taylor Swift is facing a trademark infringement lawsuit filed by a Las Vegas performer on March 30.
The complaint, brought forth by Maren Wade in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, claims Swift’s latest album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” and related branding are similar to her trademarked work “Confessions of a Showgirl.”
“Both share the same structure, the same dominant phrase, and the same overall commercial impression,” the lawsuit reads. “Both are used in overlapping markets and are directed at the same consumers.”
According to court filings, Wade’s work dates back to 2014 when she wrote a column on backstage Sin City life in Las Vegas Weekly and later expanded to live performances, a podcast, and other media ventures.
Wade, who describes herself as a singer, writer, and stage performer, obtained a registered trademark for “Confessions of a Showgirl” in 2015 and notes its existence did not go unnoticed by Swift’s team.
Wade received “incontestable” status of her trademark five years after its filing, granting her exclusive rights and prohibiting others from challenging its validity.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office declined Swift’s registration for “Life of a Showgirl,” citing potential confusion with Wade’s existing trademark.
“Defendants were therefore placed on actual notice that their chosen designation was likely to be confused with a mark that already belonged to someone,” reads the lawsuit. “They continued using it anyway.”
“The Life of a Showgirl” marked Swift’s 12th studio album and sold over 4 million units including streaming activity in the United States during the first week of its October 2025 debut.
The feat broke records, as she was named solo artist with the most No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200, with 15. Swift now follows The Beatles who turned out 19 No. 1 albums.
Swift’s album art and aesthetics centered around the imagery of a 1970s Las Vegas revue and old-Hollywood glamour, combined with showgirl glitz and feathered costumes.
Given Swift’s global reach, the lawsuit further argues the album name risks overshadowing Wade’s smaller, yet established brand, through public promotion and products.
“Textbook reverse confusion: a junior user’s overwhelming commercial presence drowns out the senior user’s mark, until consumers begin to assume that the original is the imitation,” the lawsuit reads. “What Plaintiff had built over twelve years, Defendants threatened to swallow in weeks.”
Wade is seeking an unspecified amount in monetary damages for “irreparable harm to her business, reputation, and goodwill” as well as an injunction preventing Swift and her team from using the “Life of a Showgirl” name and imagery in the future.
