Purple Rain' co-star Apollonia sues Prince estate over use of her name

[KingsOfKings]

https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/purple-rain-co-star-apollonia-sues-prince-estate-over-use-her-name-2025-08-19/

Aug 19 (Reuters) - Actress, singer and former Prince confidante Patty Kotero, better known as Apollonia, sued the late rock star's estate in California federal court on Tuesday, seeking a court order that she owns the rights to the "Apollonia" name.


Kotero, who starred with Prince in the hit 1984 film "Purple Rain," told the court, opens new tab that his estate improperly claimed ownership of the "Apollonia" trademark in June despite her use of the name for more than 40 years.


Spokespeople for Prince's Minnesota property Paisley Park and record label Sony Music did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the complaint. Kotero's attorney Dan Cislo of Cislo & Thomas said that she "fully expects to prevail in protecting her name."
After appearing as Prince's love interest in "Purple Rain," Kotero was a regular on the television show "Falcon Crest," released a self-titled album and co-wrote the Bangles' hit "Manic Monday" with the rock legend. She said in the lawsuit that she was friends with Prince until he died in 2016 and currently hosts the podcast "Apollonia Studio 6."


"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.
According to the complaint, Prince's estate applied for a federal "Apollonia" trademark in June for clothing and entertainment services. The estate has also asked the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to cancel Kotero's Apollonia trademark, alleging it owned the rights to the name based on contracts she signed in 1983 and 1984.


Kotero asked the California court to determine that she owns the "Apollonia" name, arguing that the estate was time-barred from challenging her trademark rights.
The case is Kotero v. Paisley Park Enterprises LLC, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, No. 2:25-cv-07769.
For Kotero: Dan Cislo and Katherine Bond of Cislo & Thomas
For Prince's estate: Not yet available

 

[ba'al]

You know how long I've been on ya Since Prince was on Apollonia

Since O.J. had Isotoners

Don't act like I never told ya

 

[LevelUp]

dang smh

 

[the cac mamba]

her real name is Patty? then she stole it from The Godfather

 

[get these nets]

Mario Puzo should sue, too.

 

[King Harlem]

Now that Prince has passed let her have the name. No need to even go to court over this.

 

[CHICAGO]

Now that Prince has passed let her have the name. No need to even go to court over this.

IF THE PAPER WORK
SHOWS PRINCE LEGALLY
OWNED THE NAME THERES NO
REASON FOR THE ESTATE
TO "LET HER HAVE THE NAME"



​

 

[King Harlem]

IF THE PAPER WORK
SHOWS PRINCE LEGALLY
OWNED THE NAME THERES NO
REASON FOR THE ESTATE
TO "LET HER HAVE THE NAME"



​

I disagree. The name Apollonia has very little value to anyone other than Apollonia. Naw that Prince is gone, just let her have it.

 

[GunRanger]

If ahe has had the trademark all this time then it's hers. Prince never contested it.

 

[CHICAGO]

I disagree. The name Apollonia has very little value to anyone other than Apollonia. Naw that Prince is gone, just let her have it.

THIS ISNT TRUE
CONSIDERING THEY FILED
A TRADEMARK FOR MERCHANDISE
AND MUSIC/FILM SERVICES



​

 

[T-K-G]

You know how long I've been on ya Since Prince was on Apollonia

Since O.J. had Isotoners

Don't act like I never told ya

First thought

I disagree. The name Apollonia has very little value to anyone other than Apollonia. Naw that Prince is gone, just let her have it.

That's not how business works, she gotta see if they'll sell it to her or not. Prince was being a homie and letting her rock out, now that he's no longer here his estate doesn't have to continue letting it rock


Don't sign contracts then get upset that people didn't remind you of the contract her fault honestly, should've asked Prince to let her out of it while he was alive instead of ignoring it and hoping nothing would happen. The sooner y'all realize how many people in the industry do this y'all won't feel sorry for them as often, she coulda BEEN cleared this up had she done due diligence with her lawyers

 

[Devil Plisken…CMS]

Now that Prince has passed let her have the name. No need to even go to court over this.

Man What?

 

[KnickstapeCity]

Man What?

Durk looks like a gotdamn junkie

 

[King Poetic]

Let her have the name and give her a few dollars

She’s 66 and nobody really trying to hear her story anymore

 

[Rollie Forbes]

Before Apollonia sues Prince's estate, she'd better purify herself in the waters of Lake Minnetonka.