Florida writer claims Swift’s biggest hits borrow from her poetry — and she’s naming names like Beyoncé, Musk, and Gaga.
Taylor Swift is facing a lawsuit in Florida for alleged copyright infringement across multiple songs. The legal action was filed by Kimberly Marasco, a Florida-based writer, who claims that the singer used portions of her literary work in several songs without permission or acknowledgment.
The lawsuit also names producers Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner, as well as Universal Music Group, Inc. and Republic Records, for their roles in the creation, production, and distribution of the materials Marasco alleges contain elements from her original texts.
The case is overseen by federal judge Aileen Cannon. According to Newsweek on April 10, 2025, Cannon ordered all defendants to refrain from officially responding until they have been formally served. So far, only Taylor Swift has not yet been formally notified.
This marks the second time Marasco has filed a lawsuit against Swift. In 2024, she filed a similar complaint in which Swift was dismissed as a defendant, though the process against Taylor Swift Productions, Inc. remains active.
The lawsuit cites songs from the albums Lover, Folklore, Midnights, and The Tortured Poets Department. Among the tracks allegedly involved are “Illicit Affairs,” “Hoax,” “Death by a Thousand Cuts,” “Down Bad,” “Mastermind,” and “Midnight Rain.”
Marasco claims that these songs feature lyrical fragments, narrative structures, and metaphors similar to those in her poetry, some of which were published on social media and other platforms prior to the release of the named songs.
Antonoff and Dessner are named as co-defendants due to their significant involvement in composing and producing several of the tracks cited in the lawsuit. Marasco argues that the similarities are not coincidental but result from access to and appropriation of her work.
Other public figures mentioned in the legal documents include Beyoncé, Chaka Khan, Elton John, Brad Paisley, Lady Gaga, Elon Musk, and Kim Kardashian. However, none of these individuals are directly involved in the legal proceedings.
Their names appear in comparisons made by both the plaintiff and the defense. For example, Marasco says her poem “Ordinary Citizen” was likened to Beyoncé’s “If I Were a Boy” in an attempt to question its originality. Marasco rejects this comparison, asserting that the two works differ in context and expression.
Similar arguments are made regarding songs by Chaka Khan, Elton John, and Brad Paisley. Marasco insists that her poems do not share the same themes or stylistic choices as these songs, and that such comparisons are inappropriate.
Elon Musk is mentioned in a poem titled “Elon=MC²,” published on X (formerly Twitter), in which Marasco compares Musk’s intellect to a mathematical equation. She claims Swift’s song “Mastermind” includes the phrase “To assess the equation of you,” which she interprets as conceptually similar to her work.
Lady Gaga appears in an appendix, where Marasco notes that a pose the singer struck in a promotional photo closely resembles artwork from one of her book covers — which she interprets as further proof her work was seen in industry circles.
Kim Kardashian is mentioned in connection to Swift’s song “thanK you aIMee,” which some fans speculate refers to Kardashian due to the stylized capitalization. Marasco disputes this theory by citing a lyric that states only two people know the true subject of the song.
The case remains in preliminary stages. Judge Cannon has delayed procedural responses until all parties are officially served. Marasco is seeking financial compensation and formal acknowledgment of her authorship for the allegedly used materials.
