Lady A Sues Blues Singer Anita ‘Lady A’ White: Everything to Know About Their Name Change Lawsuit

Credit: Shutterstock; Courtesy of Anita White/Instagram

Lady A Sues Blues Singer Anita 'Lady A' White: Everything to Know About Their Name Change Lawsuit

Let the games begin. The band formerly known as Lady Antebellum announced in June that they were changing their name — but the transition hasn't been easy. Band members Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood confirmed that they would be taking the country group in a new direction after acknowledging the dangerous history of the word "antebellum" amid nationwide Black Lives Matter protests. "As a band, we have strived for our music to be a refuge ... inclusive of all," the Grammy winners declared via a lengthy Instagram statement on June 11. "After much personal reflection, band discussion, prayer and many honest conversations with some of our closest Black friends and colleagues, we have decided to drop the word 'antebellum' from our name and move forward as Lady A, the nickname our fans gave us almost from the start." Scott, 34, Kelley, 38, and Haywood, 37, admitted that they felt "regretful and embarrassed" about not being more aware of the meaning behind the word and its connection to slavery. "We are deeply sorry for the hurt this has caused and for anyone who has felt unsafe, unseen or unvalued," they added. One day after news of their name change made headlines, the band faced backlash from blues singer Anita White, who has been performing under the name Lady A for over 20 years. [jwplayer eXO1K8Rr] "This is too much right now," White, 61, told Rolling Stone magazine on June 12. "They're using the name because of a Black Lives Matter incident that, for them, is just a moment in time. If it mattered, it would have mattered to them before. It shouldn't have taken George Floyd to die for them to realize that their name had a slave reference to it. ... For them to not even reach out is pure privilege." Less than one week after White shared her story, the two Lady A's sat down for a discussion on how they could find "common ground." Though the band alluded to making positive developments with White, they issued a lawsuit against her the following month. "Today we are sad to share that our sincere hope to join together with Anita White in unity and common purpose has ended," the country singers said in a statement to Us Weekly on July 9. "We hope Anita and the advisers she is now listening to will change their minds about their approach. We can do so much more together than in this dispute." Scroll down to learn more details about the Lady A drama. [podcast_block]

Credit: Shutterstock; Courtesy of Anita White/Instagram

Lady A Sues Blues Singer Anita 'Lady A' White: Everything to Know About Their Name Change Lawsuit

Let the games begin. The band formerly known as Lady Antebellum announced in June that they were changing their name — but the transition hasn't been easy. Band members Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood confirmed that they would be taking the country group in a new direction after acknowledging the dangerous history of the word "antebellum" amid nationwide Black Lives Matter protests. "As a band, we have strived for our music to be a refuge ... inclusive of all," the Grammy winners declared via a lengthy Instagram statement on June 11. "After much personal reflection, band discussion, prayer and many honest conversations with some of our closest Black friends and colleagues, we have decided to drop the word 'antebellum' from our name and move forward as Lady A, the nickname our fans gave us almost from the start." Scott, 34, Kelley, 38, and Haywood, 37, admitted that they felt "regretful and embarrassed" about not being more aware of the meaning behind the word and its connection to slavery. "We are deeply sorry for the hurt this has caused and for anyone who has felt unsafe, unseen or unvalued," they added. One day after news of their name change made headlines, the band faced backlash from blues singer Anita White, who has been performing under the name Lady A for over 20 years. [jwplayer eXO1K8Rr] "This is too much right now," White, 61, told Rolling Stone magazine on June 12. "They're using the name because of a Black Lives Matter incident that, for them, is just a moment in time. If it mattered, it would have mattered to them before. It shouldn't have taken George Floyd to die for them to realize that their name had a slave reference to it. ... For them to not even reach out is pure privilege." Less than one week after White shared her story, the two Lady A's sat down for a discussion on how they could find "common ground." Though the band alluded to making positive developments with White, they issued a lawsuit against her the following month. "Today we are sad to share that our sincere hope to join together with Anita White in unity and common purpose has ended," the country singers said in a statement to Us Weekly on July 9. "We hope Anita and the advisers she is now listening to will change their minds about their approach. We can do so much more together than in this dispute." Scroll down to learn more details about the Lady A drama. [podcast_block]

Credit: Al Wagner/Invision/AP/Shutterstock

Facing Their Mistakes

After being made aware of the "injustices, inequality and biases Black women and men have always faced and continue to face every day" during nationwide Black Lives Matter protests, the country band owned up to having a few "blind spots" in their knowledge of American history. "We are regretful and embarrassed to say that we did not take into account the associations that weigh down this word referring to the period of history before The Civil War, which includes slavery," they wrote in an Instagram statement on June 11, officially confirming that they would be going by Lady A moving forward. "We are deeply sorry for the hurt this has caused and for anyone who has felt unsafe, unseen or unvalued. Causing pain was never our hearts' intention, but it doesn't change the fact that indeed, it did just that."

Credit: Courtesy of Anita White/Instagram

The Other 'Lady A' Speaks Out

Despite receiving praise for their showing of solidarity, the band Lady A failed to realize there was already a Lady A on the scene. "This is my life. Lady A is my brand, I've used it for over 20 years, and I'm proud of what I've done," White told Rolling Stone on June 12. "I'm not going to lay down and let this happen to me. But now the burden of proof is on me to prove that my name is in fact mine, and I don’t even know how much I'll have to spend to keep it."

Credit: Courtesy of Lady A/Instagram

Finding 'Common Ground'

The following week, the musicians came together for a "transparent, honest, and authentic" discussion. "We are excited to share we are moving forward with positive solutions and common ground," each party wrote on their respective Instagram accounts on June 15. "The hurt is turning into hope. More to come. #LadyABluesSoulFunkGospelArtist #TheTruthIsLoud."

Credit: Courtesy of Anita White/Instagram

They're 'Trying to Erase Me'

Despite taking part in the seemingly positive conversations with the "Need You Now" singers, the Seattle-based artist wasn't totally convinced of the band's good intentions. "I received a draft agreement from the Antebellum camp," White told Newsday on June 16. "I'm not happy about [it] yet again after talking in good faith. ... Their camp is trying to erase me and I'll have more to say tomorrow. Trust is important and I no longer trust them."

Credit: Shutterstock; Courtesy of Anita White/Instagram

Lawyering Up

The plot thickens. On July 9, the Nashville natives confirmed to Us that they were filing a lawsuit against White. "She and her team have demanded a $10 million payment, so reluctantly we have come to the conclusion that we need to ask a court to affirm our right to continue to use the name Lady A, a trademark we have held for many years," a statement from the band explained. "We hope Anita and the advisers she is now listening to will change their minds about their approach. We can do so much more together than in this dispute."

Credit: Courtesy of Anita White/Instagram

Refusing to Give in

White penned a thoughtful column for Rolling Stone magazine one day after news of the lawsuit made headlines and claimed the band wanted her to "make them look good" in the eyes of their fans. "They want to change the narrative by minimizing my voice, by belittling me and by not telling the entire truth," she said. "At this point, I'm not surprised by anything they would do. ... They claim to be allies and that they wanted to change their name out of the racist connotation, and then they sue a black woman for the new name. ... If I give up my name or share my name, I'd be a sellout to my people."

Credit: Courtesy of Lady A/Instagram

'I Will Not Be Quiet'

On July 10, White made her feelings about the legal drama clear in a lengthy statement to Us. "Lady Antebellum has used their wealth and influence to intimidate and bully me into submission without offering any real recompense for appropriating my name," she explained. "It is now clear that their apologies, friendly texts, and playing on my love of God were just insincere gestures aimed at quieting me. Well, I will not be quiet any longer. ... I have worked too long and too hard to just give my name away." As she continued, White said that it was "absurd" for the band to claim to support Black Lives Matter and the change it represents, while also slamming a Black woman with a significant lawsuit. "I am not surprised that they used the name Lady Antebellum for so long or that their cure is to adopt a name that is only less overtly racist," she added. "The A in their name stands for Antebellum and always will. If they are truly committed to racial equality, why do they want to maintain that association, especially when it means making a public, intentional stand to disregard me and my rights?"

Credit: Shutterstock; Inset: Courtesy of Lady A/Instagram

Settled Up

In January 2022, White and the band reached a settlement in their legal dispute over the use of the name Lady A. Both parties asked a federal judge to permanently dismiss their lawsuits, according to Billboard. The terms of the agreement were not made public.