‘Purple Rain’ Star Apollonia Sues Prince Estate To Keep Her Name

Born Patricia Kotero, the 66-year-old actress said in the suit filed last week that the Prince Estate is mounting an “aggressive campaign” to keep her from continuing to use the name. Paisley Park Enterprises filed to suspend usage of the name in 2019 and in 2021 with the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, but neither case has yet been resolved. The Estate says that Kotero signed over the rights to use the name in the contracts she signed for Purple Rain.

Purple Rain star Apollonia wants to keep the stage name she’s used for more than 40 years. She’s suing the Prince estate to ensure she can.

Yet she’s used the name in her professional career ever since, which included a role on Falcon Crest in the ’80s and on other TV shows.

Kotero is best known for her role in Purple Rain, Prince’s music movie classic, released in 1984. It made $70M, which would equate to $212M today. The film made Prince a pop culture superstar and elevated the previously mostly unknown actress to stardom.

“Now that Prince is deceased, [Paisley Park Enterprises] will not stop in its efforts to acquire all things related to Prince even though it has no legal right to do so,” Kotero’s lawsuit reads. “The statute of limitations for breach of contract expired long ago, and neither Prince nor anyone on his behalf ever requested Apollonia cease using her name or demanded she stop using her name on a personal or professional level. Contrary to defendants’ claims before the [Trademark Trial and Appeal Board], Prince and Apollonia were friends, and he wanted her to be successful as Apollonia.”

On Instagram, the Prince Estate says its major issue is making sure that they can use the name as well.

“We never instructed her to cease using her adopted professional name, nor did we object to her business activities,” the statement reads. “In fact, we repeatedly offered her opportunities to perform at Paisley Park using her professional name.”

In the comments, they qualified their earlier statement.

“FYI: This message was posted rather than responding to many press inquiries and to share that we encouraged and consented to Apollonia using the name (which was not her birth name) yet the Prince estate also needs to use the name Prince created and used in his music and films. In life and business, disputes arise and we shall resolve them in due course. This main issue is preserving the Prince properties the right to continue to use the name also.”

During his lifetime, Prince fought for total control of his copyrights, including band names for groups like The Family and the Time, which he owns. In 2022, Morris Day had a similar dispute with the Estate as he was performing under Morris Day and The Time. Per multiple reports, the situation was resolved in 2023, with Day able to continue under the name.

Prince died of an accidental overdose at his Paisley Park entertainment complex in Chanhassen, Minnesota on April 21, 2016. He was 57. He died without a will, and multiple disputes emerged over his estate, which was settled in August of 2022. It is now owned by music management company Primary Wave and Prince’s surviving three siblings.

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