Prince’s Estate Denies It’s Trying to Block Apollonia Fro…

Prince’s estate is firing back at a lawsuit from Purple Rain co-star Apollonia Kotero, calling her claims “frivolous” and denying that it has ever tried to stop her from using the stage name that made her famous.

In a statement shared Thursday (Aug. 21) on Prince’s official Instagram account, the estate addressed Kotero’s lawsuit, which accuses it of attempting to unlawfully strip her of the “Apollonia” name through trademark cancellation proceedings.

The estate insisted that was not the case, saying, “Contrary to Ms. Kotero’s allegations, we never instructed her to cease using her adopted professional name. Our only aim is to preserve Prince’s assets and legacy, since the pop icon came up with the name ‘Apollonia’ for the Purple Rain film.”

Kotero, best known for starring opposite Prince in the 1984 movie and leading the group Apollonia 6, filed her lawsuit earlier this week, claiming Prince’s heirs are trying to interfere with her ability to perform and market herself under the moniker.

The estate countered that the dispute is connected to long-running trademark proceedings before the U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board and said Kotero’s claims ignore the fact that her “Apollonia” registration was already canceled by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.

“Ms. Kotero’s unwarranted lawsuit comes at the tail end of years-long disputes before the Trademark Trial & Appeal Board concerning trademark registrations, in which rulings are imminent and with respect to which we have sought a settlement numerous times despite her highly unreasonable demands,” the estate said. “We look forward to the rulings in the pending trademark proceedings and a dismissal of Ms. Kotero’s recent federal action.”

The estate has also argued in legal filings that while it does not object to Kotero using “Apollonia” on stage, it believes the trademark belongs to Prince’s heirs, pointing to its origins in Purple Rain and the girl group Apollonia 6, whose hit “Sex Shooter” spent six weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. The estate maintains that Prince created and produced the group, meaning the goodwill tied to the name is part of his lasting legacy.

As of Friday (Aug. 22), Kotero’s attorneys had not responded to the estate’s Instagram statement.