Lifetime’s ‘Bring It!’ Star Dianna Williams Claims Southern University Sent Her A Cease & Desist After Trademarking Her Team’s Name ‘Dancing Dolls,’ Which She’s Been Using For Over 20 Years

Dianna Williams

Lifetime’s ‘Bring It!’ Star Dianna Williams Claims Southern University Sent Her A Cease & Desist After Trademarking Her Team’s Name ‘Dancing Dolls,’ Which She’s Been Using For Over 20 Years

Will the real “Dancing Dolls” please stand up!

Dianna Williams, also known as Miss. D, is the studio owner, director, and choreographer of the famed “Dancing Dolls,” a children’s competitive dance team that originated in Jackson, Mississippi. Many people got to know Dianna Williams during her time on Lifetime’s hit reality series ‘Bring It!,’ which was centered around her life as the coach for the popular majorette team. The series ran for 5 seasons from March 5, 2014, until March 2018.

Recently Dianna Williams revealed online that her next battle might be taking place in a courtroom. According to the dance coach, she received a cease and desist letter from Southern University and A&M College over the name of her dancing team. SU is an HBCU located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university’s official majorette dance team is named the “Fabulous Dancing Dolls.”

During an Instagram live session, Miss. D shared that despite her dance studio previously having a TV series and being around for over 2 decades, it wasn’t until this past February that Sothern University decided to try and block her from using the “Dancing Doll” name. She said,

“Southern University sent me a cease and desist letter in the mail in February telling me I can not use the name (Daning Dolls) and I need to take it off of my website.”

Miss. D then revealed that despite the university recently trademarking “Dancing Dolls” the HBCU seemingly forgot to do so for appeal purposes as well, so she filed that trademark. This means that the school can not sell any merch with “Dancing Dolls” on their apparel.

Dianna Williams

Mrs. D’s response to the cease and desist letter didn’t end there. She also placed a trademark on “DD4L” (Dancing Doll for Life) and “Buck or Die.” In addition to that, she took things one step further and placed a trademark on the official name of the school’s majorette dance team, the “Fabulous Dancing Dolls.” She said,

“But since your a** is so d*mn petty and you went to f*cking with me, I went and got your name [too], ‘Fabulous Dancing Dolls.’”

She continued,

“‘Fabulous Dancing Dolls’ has been trademarked by who, what that say right there? Dianna M. Williams Inc. – my business owns it. ‘Fabulous Dancing Dolls’ my business owns your name now.”

She added,

“Don’t put that sh*t on no shirt!”

After her live stream, it didn’t take long for social media users to weigh in on the situation.

Southern University or its dance team has yet to comment on the matter.

 

What are your thoughts on this entire situation? Tell us below!

Authored by: Twila-Amoure McDaniel