No one in their right mind would actively try to go up against one of the greatest rappers of all time. Eminem, aka Marshall Mathers, is known for his edgy lyrics and diss tracks. So it came as a surprise to learn that the Real Housewives of Potomac’s Gizelle Bryant and Robyn Dixon were in the middle of a pretty serious court battle with him. The Bravo stars have had their fair share of run-ins with their co-stars. But nothing could have prepared them for their battle with the Grammy Award winner.
What ignited the legal battle for Eminem?
Who knew rappers and Real Housewives had so much in common? But it turns out that both enjoy totally verbally eviscerating their peers and a good court battle. In December 2023, Eminem, Gizelle, and Robyn found themselves entangled in quite the kerfuffle over a trademark battle. Page Six was the first to report that Eminem had taken the ladies to court over their Reasonably Shady podcast title.
In the documents, the lyrical assassin claimed that he believed his brand would “be damaged” if the women were allowed to monetize their podcast. He also alleged that the podcast name could “cause confusion in the minds of consumers,” who have known him by his nicknames Slim Shady and Shady.
Slim vs. the Green-Eyed Bandits
Lawyers for Gizelle and Robyn argued that deposing other people would only lead to dead ends. Especially when it came to their line of questioning. The lawyers claimed that if they asked the other parties about Eminem’s “reasoning for choosing and using the trademarks at issue,” they could “be objected to and held as hearsay.” Which, in turn, would deny the pair the opportunity to “obtain relevant information” that could’ve been more easily obtained by deposing the singer.
The famed rapper was first alerted to the name issue after Robyn and Gizelle tried to trademark the name of their podcast. The two Bravo stars had hoped to be able to sell merchandise such as water bottles, lip gloss, and sweatshirts. But it seems the 8 Mile star immediately objected to their use of the word shady. It is important to note that Eminem owns the trademark on “Shady.”
Eminem’s big win
Over the last few months, the battle has raged on. Gizelle and Robyn asked the United States Patent and Trademark Office to kindly force Eminem to sit for a deposition. The Lose Yourself singer said, “hell no,” my words not his, and asked to send his manager instead. It turns out he is much too busy to be dealing with C-list stars. The Real Housewives of Potomac star’s lawyers clapped back, noting, “An assertion of Mr. Mathers being too busy will not be enough to avoid having to sit for a deposition as both are celebrities in their own right, have provided the courtesy of sitting for deposition for Eminem, it is not overly burdensome for Eminem to extend the same courtesy for his obligation.”
The delusion ran deep with these two reality TV stars. But the court favored the rapper’s argument, granting him a big win via In Touch. The board ruled that Gizelle and Robyn could depose the singer’s manager but not him. The court noted that Eminem turned over 2,500 pages of requested documents to the reality stars. The board shared that Gizelle and Robyn “have sufficiently demonstrated the need to take the deposition of a witness in order to respond to Opposer’s summary judgment motion.” But the board fell short of granting them access to the rapper.
It’s a blow for Gizelle Bryant and Robyn Dixon
The paperwork stated that both women “failed to demonstrate that Eminem’s deposition, rather than (or in addition to) Mr. Rosenberg’s deposition, is needed to respond to the summary judgment motion.” The verdict stated, “particularly given Mr. Rosenberg, not Eminem, provided the declaration supporting the motion.” Now, Gizelle and Robyn will have 30 days to complete Paul Rosenberg’s deposition.
Eminem is most likely sitting at home happy as a clam. Happy that he doesn’t have to waste time confronting two Bravo stars. But I am sure Gizelle and Robyn are livid. Guess you could say the rapper played a real Houdini move on them.
TELL US — DO YOU THINK THE PATENT OFFICE MADE THE RIGHT DECISION IN THE CASE?
