Back in June of 2020, Platinum-selling country trio Lady Antebellum changed their name to Lady A. They apologized for not taking “into account the associations that weigh down” the word, including those with slavery. The name change happened during the Black Lives Matter protest movements sweeping the country. It seemed like it was a way for the white musicians to reckon with their privilege, but there was one glaring issue that arose: Lady A was already the name of a Black blues singer from Seattle.
Lady A (the band) reached out to Lady A (the blues singer, whose real name is Anita White) for “transparent, honest, and authentic conversations” to try to turn the hurt “into hope.” But instead of coming to an agreement, the band slammed White with a lawsuit. White ended up counter suing Lady A, saying the band’s name change led to “lost sales, diminished brand identity, and diminution in the value of and goodwill associated with the mark.” But now, nearly two years later, it looks like Lady A and White have settled their respective lawsuits.
According to a report from Rolling Stone, White and Lady A Entertainment LLC filed a joint request to dismiss both lawsuits earlier this week. The details of the settlement haven’t been made publicly available, but it would seem they were able to settle the dispute outside of court. Per the motion, “all claims against all parties” have been dismissed and each party has agreed to bear the cost of attorney and legal fees.
