Miley Cyrus can buy flowers … and a lawyer, which the pop star now needs later was sued for allegedly copying Bruno Mars in his 2023 hit “Flowers.”
Cyrus, 31, was sued Monday for copyright infringement by Tempo Music Investments, which now owns a share of the copyright in Mars’ 2013 song, “When I Was Your Man.” The singer, born Peter Gene Hernandez, is not listed as an actor, according to court documents obtained by People.
“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,'” says the lawsuit, which claims that many people have “recognized the striking similarities” between the tracks.
“Flowers”, which debuted at number 1 in the Billboard Hot 100where it stayed for eight weeks, allegedly “duplicating numerous melodic, harmonic and lyrical elements” of its predecessor.
As part of the suit, the company asked Cyrus and her co-defendants and “Flowers” songwriters Gregory Hein and Michael Pollack to stop reproducing, distributing or publicly performing the Grammy-winning song, per People.
It is unclear how much Tempo Music Investments is seeking in damages.
Believed to refer to the demise of her marriage to ex-husband Liam Hemsworth, Cyrus’ “Flowers” spent 55 weeks on the Billboard charts. The song earned Cyrus her first two Grammysfor Record of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance.
“When I Was Your Man,” meanwhile, topped the chart for one week and spent 35 weeks in total Billboard Hot 100. Mars received a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Solo Performance with the song.
An attorney for Cyrus did not immediately respond to The Daily News’ request for comment.