FKA twigs Sues Band ‘the Twigs’ Over Trademark Dispute & Stage Name Rights
Los Angeles, CA – Singer and performer FKA twigs has filed a lawsuit against the Chicago-based alternative pop band The Twigs, escalating a decade-long dispute over trademark rights to the name “Twigs.” The lawsuit, filed in a California court on Monday, alleges that The Twigs have repeatedly issued cease-and-desist letters demanding financial compensation and threatening legal action to prevent FKA twigs, whose legal name is Tahliah Debrett Barnett, from using her stage name. Barnett is seeking a jury trial to definitively establish her right to use and register the “FKA twigs” trademark.
The legal battle dates back to 2014, when The Twigs – comprised of twin sisters Laura Quality and Linda Good – initially filed a trademark claim against Barnett, then performing under the name “the Twigs.” According to the lawsuit, Barnett preemptively offered the band $15,000 to allow both musical projects to continue without legal conflict, an offer the band declined. While the initial 2014 case was voluntarily dropped by The Twigs, the dispute resurfaced in 2024 with renewed cease-and-desist letters, as reported by FarOut Magazine.
Barnett’s lawsuit claims that The Twigs are attempting to “weaponize” their previous, unsuccessful claims, threatening to disrupt her career and demanding a “significant seven-figure payout” to release any alleged claims. The legal documents assert that it is “inconceivable that any member of the relevant consuming public could confuse Barnett’s offerings with those of Defendants or believe that the parties are affiliated or related to each other.”
The filing highlights a significant disparity in the artists’ current reach and influence. As of the lawsuit’s filing, FKA twigs boasts 3.2 million monthly listeners on Spotify and over 300 million views on YouTube. In contrast, The Twigs maintain a comparatively small online presence, with 67 subscribers and 19,332 views on YouTube, 705 Instagram followers, and 25 monthly Spotify listeners. Barnett’s legal team argues this demonstrates the two acts operate in “entirely different commercial ecosystems,” making confusion unlikely.
FKA twigs, who began her career as a backup dancer before releasing her debut EP in 2012, has achieved international acclaim, culminating in a Grammy Award earlier this year for her album Eusexua. She accepted the award stating, “I know to a lot of people I may be new, but I’ve actually been doing this a really long time.”
The Twigs, formed in 1994, have largely remained out of the public eye since their initial legal challenge in 2014, a period Barnett’s lawyers characterize as a “disappearance” from the music scene. The lawsuit seeks a court order definitively establishing Barnett’s right to the FKA twigs trademark and preventing further legal action from The Twigs. As of Tuesday afternoon, representatives for both FKA twigs and The Twigs had not responded to requests for comment.