Miley Cyrus Denied In Attempt To Dismiss Copyright Lawsuit Over ‘Flowers’

A judge has denied Miley Cyrus’ request to dismiss the copyright lawsuit claiming that her 2023 smash “Flowers” was copying Bruno Mars’ “When I Was Your Man.”

Cyrus was initially sued in Sept. 2024 by Tempo Music Investments, a company that purchased the catalog rights of “When I Was Your Man” co-writer Philip Lawrence.

Neither Mars nor Lawrence are named as plaintiffs in the case, which Cyrus filed to dismiss in November.

But in a ruling yesterday, the judge cleared the path towards a trial by stating that Cyrus and her legal team had a “misunderstanding” of the legal precedent regarding copyrights.

Cyrus’ team was arguing that Tempo had no right to sue because it acquired Lawrence’s rights to “When I Was Your Man” without the consent of the other songwriters, therefore undercutting their right to sue.

But the judge stated that this argument is “incorrect,” noting that Tempo has an “exclusive right” to the copyright that should not be conflated with “exclusive ownership.”

Following its release in Jan. 2023, “Flowers” was a massive hit for Cyrus, spending eight weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 and winning record of the year at the 2024 Grammys.

Fans were quick to note the similarities between “Flowers” and “When I Was Your Man” from the start, with social media users comparing apparent similarities in lyrics.