Four decades after co-starring in Prince’s Purple Rain, singer–actress Patricia “Apollonia” Kotero is battling the late star’s estate – over the rights to her own stage name. Kotero has filed a lawsuit asserting that she, not Prince’s heirs, owns the trademark to “Apollonia.” She notes she has performed under that name since 1983 (when Prince bestowed it on her for the movie) and even secured trademarks for “Apollonia” and her Prince-formed girl group “Apollonia 6” in the 2010s.
According to the suit, Prince never objected to her using the moniker. “For all of these years neither Prince himself nor anyone on Prince’s behalf demanded that Apollonia cease using the name,” the filing states, emphasizing that the artist never contested her identity during his lifetime. Things changed this summer: in June, Prince’s estate (through Paisley Park Enterprises) moved to cancel Kotero’s trademarks, claiming contracts from 1983–84 give them ownership of the name and rights to use it for ventures like clothing and entertainment.
The estate has blasted Kotero’s action as a “frivolous lawsuit.” In a statement, it said that while it “never instructed her to cease using her adopted professional name” and even offered her opportunities to perform as Apollonia, it still has a duty to protect Prince’s intellectual property – including securing the name he created. The estate pointed out that one of Kotero’s “Apollonia” trademark registrations was already canceled amid their years-long dispute, and it predicts her suit will be dismissed. (In 2022, Prince’s estate had a similar clash with singer Morris Day over his use of “The Time,” which ended in a settlement that allowed Day to keep performing under the famous band name.)
