The estate of Prince has rejected a new lawsuit filed by singer and actress Patricia Apollonia Kotero, better known simply as Apollonia, over the rights to use her stage name. In a sharp rebuttal issued on Instagram, representatives of the estate dismissed the suit as “frivolous” and insisted that they are acting in their duty to preserve the late musician’s creative legacy.

Kotero, who famously starred opposite Prince in the 1984 cult film Purple Rain and fronted the group Apollonia 6, filed her complaint earlier this week. She alleges that the estate overstepped its authority when it moved to claim ownership of the “Apollonia” trademark. According to her filing, the estate applied in June for an “intent-to-use” trademark covering clothing and entertainment services. Kotero argues that the name has belonged to her both personally and professionally for decades, and that Prince himself never challenged her right to use it during his lifetime.

The lawsuit further accuses the estate of attempting to cancel her existing trademark registrations and applications, undermining her ability to use her name for future ventures.

In its response, the estate emphasized that Apollonia was a stage name created by Prince himself for Kotero’s role in Purple Rain. They argued that this creative origin gives the estate legitimate ownership rights. “Her unwarranted lawsuit comes at the tail end of years-long disputes before the Trademark Trial & Appeal Board concerning trademark registrations,” the statement read. The estate noted that rulings in those matters are imminent and claimed they had made multiple attempts to reach a settlement with Kotero, but were met with what they described as “highly unreasonable demands.”

While asserting control of the name, the estate was careful to stress that it had never sought to bar Kotero from performing or conducting business under the moniker. “We never instructed her to cease using her adopted professional name, nor did we object to her business activities,” the estate stated. In fact, they pointed out that Kotero had been offered opportunities to perform at Paisley Park under the Apollonia name.

The estate also highlighted that Kotero’s existing registration for “Apollonia” was canceled by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, a fact they say undermines the basis of her lawsuit. “We look forward to the rulings in the pending trademark proceedings and a dismissal of Ms. Kotero’s recent federal action,” they added.

The statement sparked immediate debate among Prince’s devoted fan base. In the comments section of the estate’s Instagram post, many fans expressed disappointment that a one-time close collaborator of Prince’s would be entangled in a legal fight with his estate. Some questioned whether targeting Apollonia served Prince’s legacy at all, while others argued that the estate was right to safeguard intellectual property tied to Prince’s creations.

The estate defended its stance in several follow-up comments, reiterating that it had no issue with Kotero using the name professionally, but emphasizing that she “cannot limit or reduce the Prince estate’s rights.” In their words, “We love and support that she uses this name, but she cannot limit or reduce the Prince estate’s rights!”

This is not the first time the estate has faced pushback from Prince’s former collaborators over names and branding. In 2022, Morris Day revealed that the estate had prohibited him from using the name of his band, Morris Day and the Time. That dispute appeared to reach a partial resolution when Day secured a trademark registration for the band name, which the estate did not oppose. Even so, Day’s attorney told Billboard in early 2023 that the registration solved “only one of a few issues at play,” hinting at continued disagreements over ownership of the group’s music.

The Apollonia case underscores a recurring tension between the estate’s efforts to protect Prince’s intellectual property and the professional identities of those who helped bring his music and films to life. Kotero, whose association with Prince helped launch her career in the 1980s, now finds herself in a legal standoff with the very estate tasked with preserving his work.