Chrissy Teigen's Husband Reveals Trademark Infringement Case For The Name 'John Legend'
By Afouda Bamidele on December 1, 2025 at 11:30 AM EST
Chrissy Teigen's husband, John Legend, went the extra mile to ensure he would never be involved in a trademark infringement lawsuit.
The renowned singer has been vocal about how he got his stage name; however, he recently shared more details about his efforts to avoid possible legal drama with a name bearing a similar name.
John Legend and Chrissy Teigen tied the knot in September 2013, two years after announcing their engagement. They have welcomed four children, sons Miles and Wren, and daughters Luna and Esti.
John Legend Signed An Agreement To Keep The Rights To His Stage Name
Legend opened up about his famous stage name in a recent interview, revealing that he had to sign an agreement with a porn producer named Johnny Legend for the rights to his professional moniker.
He explained that he wished to avoid a potential trademark infringement lawsuit because the other man dabbled in rockabilly music.
"We had to find Johnny Legend, negotiate with him, cut a mutually exclusive deal stating that he was Johnny Legend, and I was John Legend," the award-winning singer explained. Legend added that the deal noted the pair would stay in their lanes and not cross over.
"He wouldn't sue me. I wouldn't sue him. He wouldn't try to get into the soul music business pretending to be John Legend. And I'm happy to make clear that I kept my side of the agreement," Legend said, per The Daily Mail.
Who Is Johnny Legend, The Adult Film Producer?
According to the outlet, Johnny Legend's IMDb profile describes him as a "modern-day Renaissance man." He dabbled in acting, directing, rockabilly music, and worked as a wrestling manager and promoter.
His achievements include recording multiple songs for Ronny Weiser's Rollin' Rock Records and co-writing the song Pencil Neck Geek" in 1977. Johnny also released the porno comedy, "Teenage Cruisers."
As for the widely recognized Legend, he gained the moniker thanks to his friend, poet J. Ivy. The latter dubbed him "John Legend" after listening to his music and wouldn't address him by his birth name, "John Stephens," in public, leading to the nickname sticking.
The 'All Of Me' Hitmaker Was Once Accused Of Copyright Infringement
Although Legend went the extra mile to avoid a possible trademark infringement lawsuit over his stage name, he could not escape a copyright infringement case years later. In 2011, TODAY reported that the singer had been sued by songwriter Anthony Stokes.
Stokes accused Legend of stealing his work and using it as the foundation of his 2006 song "Maxine's Interlude." The songwriter alleged that he met the musician during a meet and greet event in 2004 and had offered him a demo tape of his original track "Where Are You Now?"
Stokes never heard back from Legend and had forgotten their interaction until he listened to his 2006 album "Once Again." He immediately noticed that one of the tracks, "Maxine's Interlude," was eerily similar to his own song down to lyrics, leading to the copyright infringement lawsuit.
Chrissy Teigen Got Slammed For Late Night Eating Ritual
When Legend wasn't making waves, his wife, Teigen, frequently faced the internet's wrath for her shocking revelations. In September 2025, The Blast shared that she sparked backlash for revealing her late-night eating ritual.
According to Teigen, she would always wake up at 1 am craving a meal. She noted that she would order food when this happened or nudge her sleeping husband awake to take her orders. "He's so robotic, you know, John. He's like, 'Alright, sandwich time,'" she said.
Teigen dropped the bombshell during her appearance on the "Dinner Time Live" show, with a clip of the moment making rounds on TikTok. Many slammed the media personality as "insufferable," "awful," and other unflattering names for forcing Legend awake to cook for her.
John Legend And His Longtime Partner Contemplated Leaving Los Angeles
Months before sparking backlash for her late-night habits, The Blast reported that Legend had opened up about the possibility of leaving Los Angeles. The pianist shared his thoughts in an interview in February, noting that he and Teigen had considered moving to New York City.
Legend explained that their relocation thoughts stemmed from the rampant wildfires in L.A., claiming the January fires had given them "collective trauma." However, the couple had always had the Big Apple at the back of their minds after relocating to California.
Legend and Teigen previously lived in New York, where they owned two penthouse units, which they later sold for $18 million. Although they feared nature's wrath in L.A., the doting father of four confessed that they wouldn't consider relocating until their children were older.
