‘Purple Rain’s’ Apollonia Is Going to War With Prince’s Estate For This One Reason

If you consider yourself a true Prince fan, Apollonia needs no introduction. Born Patty Kotero, the iconic singer and former protegee who co-starred in the hit film “Purple Rain” is back in the headlines – and it’s not for a nostalgic tribute.

Instead, Kotero has filed a shocking lawsuit against Prince’s estate, and the reason behind it is mindblowing. 

According to Billboard, Kotero filed a complaint against Paisley Park Enterprise LLC, one of the entities that has been managing Prince’s affairs since his untimely passing in 2016. The singer alleges that the late icon’s estate attempted to “steal” her name in bad-faith trademark proceedings.

In recent court documents, Kotero revealed that the estate improperly claimed ownership of the “Apollonia” trademark in June, despite her use of the name for more than 40 years. 

“All of the goodwill associated with the name and trademark ‘Apollonia’ for the past four decades is attributable to the plaintiff,” her lawyer, Daniel Cislo, wrote in the complaint. And he’s not wrong: After Purple Rain, Apollonia wasn’t just a character. She became a brand, with music, acting credits, and even a podcast to her name.

As her attorney put it: “There is only one Apollonia.”

To make matters even more interesting, court documents outline that Prince never opposed the name usage — he encouraged it. According to Kotero, she revealed that his estate had deliberately tried to “acquire all things related to Prince even though it has no legal right to do so.”  As part of his estate’s efforts to assert control, she claims that Prince’s heirs have launched an “aggressive campaign” to cancel her trademarks and claim ownership of the name “Apollonia” at the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB).

Paisley Park allegedly claimed that Kotero signed over her right to this name, as it was a part of her “Purple Rain” contract. Apollonia’s attorneys fired back that the claims are completely baseless, noting that the statute of limitations for a breach of contract claim has long expired. 

Kotero is asking for the courts to rule in her favor, affirming that she – not Prince’s heirs – owns the name. She asserts that the estate’s trademark litigation threatens “to disrupt not only Apollonia’s livelihood, but also her identity.”

According to Reuters, Paisley Park and record label Sony Music remained quiet on the matter. However, Kotero’s attorney, Daniel Cislo of Cislo & Thomas, said that she “fully expects to prevail in protecting her name.”