Former Vegas Showgirl Sues Taylor Swift for Trademark Infringement

A former Las Vegas showgirl is suing superstar Taylor Swift for allegedly co-opting the brand she spent more than 12 years building. According to TMZ, which viewed the lawsuit, Maren Wade claims Swift’s latest album infringed on her rights to the brand “Confessions of a Showgirl.”

Wade, who owns a trademark on the phrase “Confessions of a Showgirl,” seeks unspecified damages for trademark infringement, false designation of origin, and unfair competition. She requests an injunction to stop Swift, her management, her record label (UMG Recordings), and her merchandising partner from using “The Life of a Showgirl” on goods and services.

From 2014 through late 2024 or early 2025, Wade wrote a weekly column titled “Confessions of a Showgirl” for the Las Vegas Weekly. The column offered a behind-the-scenes look at her life as a performer — including working with Wayne Newton and Mariah Carey, getting stuck in a birthday cake, and impersonating a Madonna impersonator.

The column was later adapted into a book, a podcast, and a one-woman comedic stage show.

The show, directed by Keith Thompson (Jersey Boys, Mamma Mia!, We Will Rock You), was performed in 2023 and 2024 at venues around Las Vegas including Myron’s at The Smith Center, Notoriety at Neonopolis, and the Stirling Club. Wade also brought the production to New York for an off-Broadway run at the Laurie Beechman Theatre in 2024.

Swift Action

In court documents filed Monday in California federal court, Wade alleges that her branding and Swift’s convey the same “overall commercial impression” due to the shared structure and dominant phrase “of a Showgirl.”

She claims Swift’s team knew or should have known about the similarity — especially after the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued a refusal of Swift’s “The Life of a Showgirl” trademark application citing a likelihood of confusion with Wade’s mark — but proceeded anyway.

Wade, registered as Maren Flagg, owns U.S. Trademark Registration No. 4,792,015. It was filed in May 2014 and officially registered on August 11, 2015. Crucially, it has reached “incontestable status,” which is a powerful legal shield in trademark law.

Casino.org reached out to Wade via all her social media platforms for comment but none was received at the time of publication of this article.