Blues singer Anita White claimed Lady Antebellum, now Lady A, used “wealth and influence to bully” her into changing her name.
White accused the country music band of not offering “any real recompense for appropriating” her name, according to a report published Sunday by Variety. Lady Antebellum announced its name change back in June, but White has reportedly gone by the name Lady A for 20 years.
Lady Antebellum “has used their wealth and influence to intimidate and bully me into submission without offering any real recompense for appropriating my name,” White said, according to Variety.
“It is now clear that their apologies, friendly texts, and playing on my love of God were just insincere gestures aimed at quieting me,” she added. “Well, I will not be quiet any longer.”
White also acknowledged the report that she had asked for $10 million in compensation for the rights to the name. (RELATED: Lady Antebellum, Now Lady A, Files Lawsuit Against Singer Who Goes By Lady A)
“I asked for $5 million to compensate me for this loss, and to help me rebuild under a new name,” she said. “I also asked that they donate $5 million to a charity so that we could work together to promote racial equality. It was my impression from our communications that this would appeal to Hillary, Charles, and Dave. I guess I was wrong. Their refusal to come to an agreement that would be respectful of my work and my rights, however, has given me the clarity and the drive to not back down.”
“My fans used to be able to listen to my music on streaming services; now they struggle to find me,” White said.