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Miley Cyrus is one of the most influential pop icons of all time. Her ever-evolving artistry and vocal styles continue to win the hearts of fans worldwide all the while landing her with all the praise and accolades she deserves. The songFlowersfrom her latest eighth studio albumEndless Summer Vacation, for one, holds a record that even Taylor Swift can’t beat.
But as much of a fan-favorite this track has gone on to become, winning theTeen Queenof the 2000s yet another Grammy in her long list of awards, it has earned her the limelight for the wrong reasons as well. For one, the 32-year-old singer was reportedly sued with allegations that this respective song of hers was copied from Bruno Mars’When I Was Your Man.
According to reports, the lawsuit filed against the song that raged on theBillboard Global 200charts for months alleges that there are one too many similarities between the respective song and Mars’ hit track from 2013. At the same time, it’s not the 39-year-old singer cum songwriter himself who has sued Cyrus, but rather, a group that buys up music rights.
Additionally, since the filing of the copyright infringement lawsuit, a lot of progress has been made, including Cyrus’ response to it all as well as a motion to get this lawsuit dismissed in the first place. That said, here’s all you need to know about the suit, who sued Cyrus and when, the lawsuit dismissal motion, and whether the claims of the suit are actually true or not.
Miley Cyrus Was Sued for Copyright Infringement forFlowers
Per the reports fromPEOPLE, Tempo Music Investments — the group that owns a share of the copyright inBruno Mars‘When I Was Your Manafter it acquired songwriter Philip Lawrence’s music catalog — filed a lawsuit on July 18, 2025, in a Los Angeles court, alleging the reported “the striking similarities” between Mars’ 2013 track andMiley Cyrus‘Flowers.
The documents of the suit state, “It is undeniable based on the combination and number of similarities between the two recordings that ‘Flowers’ would not exist without ‘When I Was Your Man’.” If that wasn’t enough, the suit further alleges that Cyrus’ track “duplicates numerous melodic, harmonic, and lyrical elements” of the24K Magicsinger’s song.
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“Accordingly, Plaintiff brings this action for copyright infringement arising out of Defendants’” — which includes co-songwriters, Gregory Hein and Michael Pollack, among multiple other defendants, along with Apple and Sony Music Publishing — “unauthorized reproduction, distribution, and exploitation of ‘When I Was Your Man,’” the complaint adds.
Additionally, the suit goes on to allege that “the opening vocal line from the chorus of ‘Flowers’ begins and ends on the same chords as the opening vocal line in the verse of ‘When I Was Your Man.’” That said, Tempo Music Investments wants Cyrus, and the other defendants listed in the lawsuit, to stop reproducing, distributing, or publicly performing her smash-hit song.
For the record, Mars sings on his respective track, “I should’ve bought you flowers/And held your hand/Should’ve gave you all my hours/When I had the chance/Take you to every party/‘Cause all you wanted to do was dance.” Cyrus, in the meanwhile, sings in her respective song, “I can buy myself flowers/Write my name in the sand/Talk to myself for hours/Say things you don’t understand/I can take myself dancing/I can hold my own hand.”
These lyrics have further held a different interpretation among fans, some of whom see Cyrus’ lyrics as a reference to the 2013Billboard Hot 100lister because her ex,Liam Hemsworth, dedicated Mars’ track in the talk to her at their engagement party (seeX). But, of course, there’s no confirmation of that, and it’s nothing more than mere speculation.
Coming back to the lawsuit, Tempo Music Investments reportedly even seeks damages, but the amount of the same is yet to be determined and disclosed publicly. Meanwhile, it’s also worth pointing out that while the track listed in the lawsuitisMars’ song, theTalking to the Moonsinger has notably not been named as a plaintiff, so that’s that as well.
This Lawsuit Comes After Miley Cyrus’ Grammy Win forFlowers
While Cyrus getting sued over her chart-topping masterpiece in itself is one thing, what’s worth pointing out is that this lawsuit didn’t pop up until the fan-favorite icon had already taken home the2024 Grammy Award for Record of the Yearfor this very song of hers on the 4th of February, 2024. Adding to this, she also won the Best Pop Solo Performance award for the track.
Besides this, the song also earned tremendous fame as it debuted at the #1 position on theBillboard Global 200chart within a mere week of its release, holding the position for 6 consecutive weeks before being dethroned and then once again getting back on #1 on the chart for another 6 weeks. Then after a 10-week absence, it again reclaimed its position at the top.
Just like that,Flowers– which ostensibly includes several references to the 32-year-old singer’s ex-husband Liam Hemsworth –set a record that even pop billionaire Taylor Swift couldn’t beat. On the other hand, Mars’When I Was Your Mantopped theBillboard Hot 100chart in April 2013 within weeks of its first release (seeBillboard).
So Are the Reports About Miley Cyrus’FlowersTrue?
No. Well, at least, that’s what Cyrus and her legal team are maintaining so far against the lawsuit. In a new dismissal motion filed in federal court in LA, theUsed To Be Youngsinger, along with her co-songwriters, reject all claims that allege their having copied protectable elements of Mars’ hit 2013 masterpiece when they penned Cyrus’ respective song (viaRolling Stone).
And that’s not all. The dismissal motion further argues a more pressing “incurable defect” of the lawsuit, pointing out that Tempo Music Investments actually exercises no right to sue unless the other co-authors of the song, including Mars himself, are involved as well. As mentioned previously, while co-songwriter Philip Lawrence’s music catalog allowed this right to the investment firm, they need Mars’ involvement, too, to continue with the suit.
The motion filed by Cyrus’ team reads the same:
The songwriter defendants categorically deny copying, and the allegedly copied elements are random, scattered, unprotected ideas and musical building blocks. However, the plaintiff’s claim suffers another fatal flaw that mandates dismissal at the pleading stage: the Copyright Act expressly provides that only a legal or beneficial owner of an exclusive copyright right may sue for infringement. Plaintiff is neither and, as a result, it lacks standing to bring this action.
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In response, Tempo’s lawyer Alex Weingarten called this motion a “bogus technical argument,” claiming that while the law limits the rights of the assignees/licensees of copyright stakes, it does not apply to the actual owners. He said, “We’re not an assignee. We’re an owner. It’s an intellectually dishonest motion and an obvious dilatory tactic. They say nothing about the substance of the case because this is blatant copyright infringement.”
All of this said, further progress is awaited on this case. It remains to be seen if Cyrus’ legal team’s argument that the copyright law does not prohibit all those other songs that share a few chords, pitches, or words the wayFlowersandWhen I Was Your Mando would be enough as a defense for Cyrus’ record-breaking musical masterpiece.
Mahin Sultan
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2478
Mahin Sultan is a Senior Writer at FandomWire, where she brings a fresh perspective to entertainment news. Having been in the field for over 3 years now, she has already written more than 2,000 articles across a variety of niches, from entertainment to health and fashion. This diverse experience has allowed her to quickly build a solid foundation and a deep understanding of the industry.
