Apollonia has filed a lawsuit against Prince’s estate to own the rights to her name.
The singer, whose real name is Patty Kotero, starred alongside Prince in the 1984 movie “Purple Rain,” told the court that the estate “improperly claimed ownership of the Apollonia trademark in June,” although she had the name for over 40 years.
According to reports, the spokespeople for Prince’s estate have not commented on the lawsuit. However, Kotero’s legal team says that she “fully expects to prevail in protecting her name.”
Aside from starring in “Purple Rain,” Kotero starred in the TV show “Falcon Crest”, released her self-titled album, and worked on other projects.
Her lawsuit reveals that she and Prince were friends until his passing in 2016. “For all of these years, neither Prince himself nor anyone on Prince’s behalf demanded that Apollonia cease using the name Apollonia or contended that the name did not belong to her,” the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit also reveals that the estate applied for a federal “Apollonia” trademark in June for clothing and entertainment services. They have also asked that her Apollonia Trademark be canceled by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, stating that they owned the name according to the contracts that were signed in 1983 and 1984.
Kotero is asking the court to allow her to keep her name by arguing that Prince’s estate was “time-barred from challenging her trademark rights.”