‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Alum Lexi Love Says Porn Actor’s Trademark Infringement Claim Resulted in 3 Canceled Gigs So Far

After making her RuPaul’s Drag Race debut this year on Season 17, Lexi Love is fighting to keep her own drag name amid a trademark infringement complaint.

via: Out

Love has shared a statement with Out in response to the allegations that her name is violating copyright owned by a self-identified "AI Architect and Sustainable Fashion Entrepreneur" named Lexi Love.

"I've been using Lexi love since 2009.

She was apparently being tagged as me which is how she discovered me and then two months after I was announced on TV she reinstated an old trademark she no longer had and is now attacking my social media, Cameo, and streaming music.

I've had 3 venues pull out and cancel dates because she is sending them also cease and desist emails and just harassing them.

She made a post speaking negatively about my trials and tribulations I opened up about on the show; including my HIV.

My team reached out and have had no return communication from her and she just keeps reporting my accounts. I offered a licensing agreement, terms, anything but she is just continuing to attack online.

At this point I'm considering and more than likely will be having a 'Name Me' contest or something like that so I can keep as much of my 'brand' and social media intact before she ruins everything I have worked for and erase me off social media.

This is something I've been quietly dealing with for a short month now with my team who's small but mighty and it's definitely been taking tole on us. I don't know what happened but the drag gods were looking down upon me yesterday (or whenever it was I'm on my way to Australia for a tour so time is a little wonky for me right now) but it has been so uplifting to see all the fans and community coming together to support me as I navigate this. I've been through so much this year and it was never what I pictured my journey to look like but I continue to learn and grow every day taking it step by step."

Editor's note: A similar, abbreviated version of Lexi Love's statement was first reported on Deadline.

Out has reached out to representatives of the actor named Lexi Love. Paramount, MTV, World of Wonder have also been contacted for comment.

What are the Lexi Love copyright violation claims about?

An X user named @LexiLove — described as a "SAG-AFTRA actor; AI Architect; and Sustainable Fashion Entrepreneur @LexiLoveRunway @LexiLoveUnivers" — accused RuPaul's Drag Race season 17 finalist Lexi Love of copyright infringement, writing:

"The RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 17 contestant using the name 'Lexi Love' on Paramount+ / MTV / World of Wonder platforms is not me. Use of my name by RuPaul’s Drag Race, contestant Barnes, and affiliated promotional platforms—including in performance, booking, DBA, and promotional materials—is unauthorized, nonconsensual, and constitutes trademark infringement. For absolute clarity: I was not a contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race. I am not transgender. I am not a person living with HIV. I am not a person who was formerly unhoused. I have never been trafficked in the sex market. I am not suffering from drug addiction, nor have I ever attended rehab for drug addiction. These personal disclosures were made publicly by the contestant while using my name in commerce without consent.

Such infringement causes significant brand confusion, damages my personal and professional reputation, and creates false associations with experiences and conditions that do not apply to me or my brand.

Lexi Love® is my federally registered trademark (USPTO Reg. No. 7727806) with first commercial use in 2004 and a prior WIPO domain dispute win confirming exclusive rights. [Link to wipo.int]

The X user tagged [Drag Race star] Lexi Love, RuPaul's Drag Race, RuPaul, Paramount+, Paramount Pictures, MTV, and World of Wonder in the post, adding:

"Taking my name and using it without consent, you are erasing my two-decade legacy and identity—actions that directly contradict the values of consent, authenticity, and respect that LGBTQ+ and marginalized communities champion for. Immediately cease all use of the Lexi Love® name."

In a subsequent post, X user @LexiLove wrote:

"CEASE AND DESIST – UNAUTHORIZED USE OF REGISTERED TRADEMARK 'LEXI LOVE®'To Whom It May Concern: This is formal legal notice regarding the unauthorized commercial use of my federally registered trademark Lexi Love® (USPTO Principal Register, Classes 35 & 41), in continuous use since 2004.Any use by @paramountplus, @WorldOfWonder, @RuPaulsDragRace, @MTV, @mslexilovesyou, or affiliates in entertainment, branding, events, or digital media is infringement under federal law. You are directed to immediately and permanently cease all use of the Lexi Love® mark. Written confirmation is required immediately. Continued use will constitute willful infringement and subject all responsible parties to liability."

@LexiLove wrote in the next post:

"Oooo look stopped by my LinkedIn. Hi, Lawyer AT @ParamountPics.Here to network… bracing for the headlines... or sweating those @RuPaulsDragRace #Emmy (@TelevisionAcad) noms over #trademark #infringement after utilizing @sagaftra actor #LexiLove's name in commerce without consent creating brand confusion?OR that: I was not a contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race. I am not transgender. I am not a person living with HIV. I am not a person who was formerly unhoused. I have never been trafficked in the sex market. I am not suffering from drug addiction, nor have I ever attended rehab for drug addiction. These personal disclosures were made publicly by the contestant while using my name in commerce without consent.Which will Paramount address as a matter of urgency—trademark infringement, unauthorized commercial use of my SAG-AFTRA name, or the public dissemination of false and harmful associations?"

When confronted by an X user who wrote, "Good luck finding that career you speak of," @LexiLove wrote the following response:

"My career is not something I’m “searching for” — it’s one I’ve built over two decades.I have been a SAG-AFTRA actor since 2015, appearing in motion pictures directed by Adam Rifkin, Adrian Stewart, Jon Lucas, and Scott Moore, and performing alongside actors such as Penn Jillette and Richard Hatch.As a voice actor, I contributed to Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto V (GTAV) as Character #4.I’ve worked as an associate producer on Disposition, an executive producer on multiple projects, and in 2019 I served on the Motion Picture Nominating Committee for the 26th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards.I am the founder of Lexi Love Runway, a sustainable fashion brand creating collections with ecological themes, alternative materials, and ESG-aligned design practices.I release original music, most recently my album Universe.I am also an AI artist, using AI commercially through Lexi Love® Universe, an interactive media series blending outer space adventures, storytelling, and live AI character interaction.All of this is built under my federally registered trademark Lexi Love® (USPTO Reg. No. 7,727,806), in continuous use since 2004 and upheld by the World Intellectual Property Organization in 2009. That is not 'trying to find a career.'That is a 20-year career across entertainment, music, fashion, AI, and production — protected, recognized, and growing."

@LexiLove included a link to LexiLove.com's "About" page, which reads:

"Lexi Love ® is a SAG-AFTRA actor, AI architect, producer, and sustainable fashion entrepreneur with over two decades of experience in the entertainment and technology industries. A trailblazer in merging art and technology, she is passionate about storytelling across multiple mediums. Love's work reflects a commitment to innovation, crafting engaging experiences that captivate audiences and inspire meaningful connections. Her interests in AI, SpaceTech, AgTech, robotics, and fashion are deeply woven into her work, driving forward industry-focused projects that explore the transformative potential of these technologies."

Certain companies have already removed the Drag Race star from their platforms.

Throughout the month of August, @LexiLove has thanked different platforms that have complied with the request to "remove unauthorized commercial use of my name by an @RuPaulsDragRace S17 contestant."

Below, a list of platforms that @LexiLove has thanked for complying with this request of copyright infringement.

Out can confirm that the Drag Race star's Cameo page is no longer found.

Out can confirm that the Drag Race star's Spotify page still exists, but it no longer includes any original songs by the Drag Race star, such as the grand finale song "Classic."

Apple Music

Out can confirm that the Drag Race star's Apple Music page still exists, but now only includes one song, "Classic."

Facebook

Out can confirm that the Facebook page @alexis.love.3958 is no longer active.

Amazon Music

Out can confirm that the Drag Race star's Amazon Music page still exists and is active. It includes the drag artist's "She's Giving" song, as well as a remix of that track.

The Drag Race finalist still have active pages on Instagram, X/Twitter, and TikTok as of this writing.

On Friday, August 22, the season 17 star shared an Instagram post that reads:

"Due to recent trademark allegations by Selena Scola aka 'Lexi Love,' I do not know if my accounts will remain active, unfortunately. So be warned! If you noticed my music removed from Spotify and iTunes; this is also why. Please, stay tuned..."

This story is still developing…