The Village People are not happy that Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort hired a lookalike group to play the venue.
Billboard reports that after video surfaced on Twitter of what appeared to be the band playing an event at the estate, Trump was sent a cease-and-desist letter by lead singer Victor Willis‘ wife, Karen Willis, who manages the band.
The letter, which was sent to Trump’s lawyer Joseph Tacopina, argues that the tribute band violates the disco group’s federal trademark, noting the clip “has and continues to cause public confusion as to why Village People would even engage in such a performance. We did not.” Karen adds, “Though my husband has tolerated your client’s use of his Village People music, we cannot allow such use by him to cause public confusion as to endorsement.”
Willis insists that the confusion makes it look like the band is endorsing Trump and that the band has threatened to sue to keep him from using “not only of the Village People trademarked image and trade dress, but of the music as well.”
This isn’t the first time the Village People took issue with Trump’s use of their music. In June 2020 Victor, upset over Trump using police to clear protesters in Lafayette Square, used social media to ask the president not to use their songs at his events.
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