Miley Cyrus isn’t giving time to the plagiarism allegations surrounding her chart-topping hit Flowers. The singer and her team have officially responded to a lawsuit filed by Tempo Music Investments, which claims that her Grammy-winning track plagiarizes Bruno Mars’ 2012 ballad When I Was Your Man.
In documents submitted on Nov. 20, Cyrus’ legal team, along with co-writers Gregory Hein and Michael Pollack, denied the allegations of copyright infringement. They argue that the lawsuit lacks “information sufficient to form a belief as to the truth or falsity of the allegations.” According to their response, the original complaint fails to provide clear evidence and instead relies on legal conclusions, which the defence argues require no formal response.
The legal team is asking for the lawsuit to be dismissed with prejudice, meaning Tempo would not be able to refile. Additionally, they are seeking compensation for legal fees and any other relief the court deems necessary.
Filed in September, Tempo’s lawsuit alleges that Flowers borrows “numerous melodic, harmonic, and lyrical elements” from When I Was Your Man. The claim includes specific accusations about the melodic pitch, chord progressions, bass line, and certain lyrical phrases, arguing that the similarities are “undeniable.”
The lawsuit also ties the alleged plagiarism to Flowers’ success, which Tempo argues wouldn’t have been possible without the supposed similarities to Mars’ song. Flowers dominated the Billboard charts for 106 weeks combined after its release in January 2023, spending eight weeks on the Hot 100. It also earned Cyrus her first Grammy win for Best Pop Solo Performance in 2023.
“Any fan of Bruno Mars’ When I Was Your Man knows that Miley Cyrus’ Flowers did not achieve all of that success on its own,” the original filing claimed.
The defence’s response pushes back against the idea of Flowers being derivative, asserting that the allegations are baseless and lack evidence. Miley’s camp is confident that the lawsuit will not stand in court, further emphasizing that her song’s massive success stems from its unique composition and emotional resonance with listeners.
This isn’t the first time Miley has addressed scepticism about her work. In a June interview with W Magazine, she expressed frustration over her long journey to Grammy recognition, noting, “No shade, but I’ve been doing this for 20 years, and this is my first time actually being taken seriously at the Grammys?”
Miley described her newfound success as overdue, explaining that her accolades are a testament to her hard work and creativity. “This is not about arrogance. I am proud of myself,” she said.
The lawsuit has sparked heated debates on social media, with many fans defending Cyrus and dismissing the claims.
One user on X wrote: “The meaning of Flowers is totally not the same as When I Was Your Man. Even the rhythm, sound, and arrangement are all different. Few lyrics respond to her ex, but the song stands on its own.”
Another added, “Similar is not the same. This lawsuit will lose.”
Some fans questioned whether Bruno Mars himself is involved in the case. “Curious whether Bruno is in on this? If so, I guess he’s a hater too.”
For now, Cyrus and her team are pushing for a swift dismissal, eager to move on from allegations they view as an unnecessary distraction from her historic career moment. Whether the court will side with her remains to be seen.