Apollonia, the singer and actress who fronted the late Prince’s girl group Apollonia 6, says he wanted her to keep her name indefinitely amid an ongoing trademark lawsuit with his estate.
The Name Game
As the legal dispute drags on, Apollonia claimed in a Jan. 16 amendment to her complaint that Prince, just two months before his fatal fentanyl overdose, was “adamant” that Patricia Kotero continue using the name Apollonia, as Rolling Stone reported.
That face-to-face conversation allegedly took place on Feb. 28, 2016, following Prince’s Piano and a Microphone concert in Oakland, Calif.
Apollonia says in her new filing that the exchange was witnessed by fellow Apollonia 6 member Susan Moonsie.
Kotero believes the estate’s attempt to trademark “Apollonia” in June 2025 for clothing and entertainment is unjustified and threatens both her career and professional identity.
After all, she famously played Prince’s love interest in the 1984 film “Purple Rain” — his acting debut — and built much of her music and acting career around the Apollonia persona.
According to NME, Kotero says Prince encouraged her to continue her musical performances, merchandising, and audiovisual projects, insisting that she and Moonsie use the Apollonia and Apollonia 6 trademarks so they could remain financially secure in their later years.
Apollonia also claims Prince never trademarked the “Apollonia” name while he was alive, arguing that his estate, Paisley Park Enterprises (PPE), acted improperly by later asserting control over it.
In June 2025, PPE filed an intent-to-use trademark application for “Apollonia” and sought to cancel Kotero’s existing registrations, according to NME.
Two months later, Kotero sued the estate, accusing PPE of attempting to “steal” her name and seeking a judicial declaration affirming her right to use it, Rolling Stone reported.
Apollonia says the dispute would not exist if Prince were still alive and claims he would be “appalled” by the estate’s conduct, arguing that if PPE prevails, her identity, business, and rights would be diminished or lost.
The estate has denied wrongdoing, saying it is acting to protect and preserve Prince’s legacy and claiming it has attempted to resolve the dispute privately.
In its motion to dismiss, PPE says it has never threatened to sue Apollonia, never asked her to stop using her stage name, and never sought to halt her business activities, according to Rolling Stone.
Apollonia, however, alleges the estate is attempting to secure control of the name for ventures such as the “Purple Rain” film, pointing to promotional materials that prominently featured “APOLLONIA,” which she says violates her right of publicity.
The estate counters that the use of the name refers only to a fictional character from “Purple Rain” and does not support a legal claim.
