FKA Twigs has filed a lawsuit against indie band the Twigs, escalating a long-running dispute over the use of her stage name.
The British artist, born Tahliah Barnett, is seeking a declaratory judgement confirming her right to use and trademark “FKA Twigs”, following years of intermittent challenges from the duo.
Per Rolling Stone, the dispute dates back to the early 2010s, when the Twigs – fronted by sisters Laura and Linda Good – first raised concerns about the similarity between the names. Barnett claims the Twigs have known about her use of FKA Twigs since 2013, around which time they exchanged correspondence relating to the “likelihood of confusion between her stage name and their band’s name”.
In their email exchange, Barnett offered the band $15,000 to allow their musical entities to “co-exist”, without needing to purchase the name from the band. According to court documents, per Rolling Stone, “Laura and Linda declined and stressed that they did not consent to this proposed co-existence”.
Then in May 2024, the Twigs allegedly issued cease-and-desist letters to Barnett “threatening litigation, including threats to enjoin Barnett’s use of her mark”, in order to disrupt her decade-long, “uninterrupted” use of the FKA Twigs mark.
In the new complaint, FKA Twigs argues there is little likelihood of confusion between the two acts, citing differences in their profiles, audiences, and musical styles. Her legal team is asking the court to formally recognise her rights to the name and prevent further claims. She has requested a jury trial.
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