Lexi Love Trademark Clash: Drag Queen Loses Stage Name to Former Adult Star's Legal Threat

RuPaul's Drag Race finalist Clair Barnes has been forced to give up her stage name 'Lexi Love' after a legal complaint from a former adult entertainer with a long-standing claim to the trademark.

The dispute has led to Barnes being removed from platforms including X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Cameo, and music services such as Spotify and Apple Music. The former performer behind the original Lexi Love trademark, Selena Scola, says Barnes' use of the name has caused reputational damage and brand confusion.

Long-Running Name, Recent Legal Claim

Selena Scola, who acted under the name Lexi Love in adult films beginning in 2004, claims to have used the name commercially for two decades. While the original trademark for the name was registered in 2008, it was cancelled in 2015.

Scola refiled for the trademark on 10 February 2024, shortly before Season 17 of RuPaul's Drag Race began airing. The registration was granted on 18 March 2025, during the season's broadcast.

Barnes, meanwhile, said she had used the name Lexi Love in drag performances across the Cincinnati area for nearly a decade. However, the dispute escalated after Scola publicly issued a cease and desist letter on 1 August, calling Barnes' use of the name unauthorised.

Platforms Remove Barnes' Accounts

Since the claim was made public, multiple online platforms have taken action against Barnes. On 12 August, Scola posted that Barnes had been removed from Cameo, and that her music had been taken off Spotify. By 28 August, Barnes' X and Facebook pages had both been suspended.

Barnes said that three venues cancelled bookings following cease and desist emails sent by Scola. In comments to Deadline on 23 August, Barnes said she had made repeated attempts to resolve the issue, including offering a licensing agreement.

However, she said Scola had not responded. She also warned her followers via Instagram that her presence on remaining platforms could be removed at any time.

Scola's Position and Background

Scola has stated that her objection is based not only on trademark rights but also on what she described as a false association with personal experiences that do not reflect her background. In a viral X post viewed more than 4.3 million times, she wrote: 'I am not transgender. I am not a person living with HIV. I have never been trafficked in the sex market.'

She argued that Barnes' use of the name while publicly sharing these experiences damaged her personal and professional reputation. Scola tagged World of Wonder, Paramount, MTV, RuPaul, and others involved in the production of RuPaul's Drag Race in her post.

Scola is a member of the SAG-AFTRA union and says she has worked as a voice actor in Grand Theft Auto V, served as an associate producer on the film Disposition, and founded a sustainable fashion brand. She now also creates AI-generated art and music under the Lexi Love name.

Trademark Timeline and Legal Grounds

Though the original Lexi Love trademark lapsed in 2015, Scola maintains that her common-law trademark rights remained valid. She cited her continued use of the name in commerce and pointed to renewed trademark status as of March 2025.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office shows that the name's first commercial use was claimed in August 2004. This aligns with her first IMDb credit under the Lexi Love name in a series called The Big Swallow.

Barnes, on the other hand, did not contest the trademark claim but sought to negotiate use of the name. As those negotiations failed, she has since warned that she has been forced to return to using her legal 'dead' name, a move she referenced in a recent social media post.

Online Fan Reactions

Fans of Drag Race have expressed concern over the outcome of the dispute. Some believe the response has been disproportionate to the nature of the claim, while others suggest Barnes could choose another name.

Supporters have pointed out that the removal of platforms and bookings may have a lasting impact on Barnes' livelihood and visibility.