- A Florida woman is attempting to sue Taylor Swift, alleging she plagiarized elements of her work
- But the pop star is proving difficult to locate
- Kimberly Marasco has enlisted help from law enforcement to serve Swift with the papers
Taylor Swift is one of the biggest names on the planet.
And while her talent – which has seen her win 14 Grammy awards – is undisputed, the singer, 35, has recently found herself in hot water.
A Florida woman, called Kimberly Marasco, is currently suing Swift, after alleging she plagiarized creative elements from the woman’s poetry.
But in an unexpected turn of events, Marasco is now having to turn to the police for help as the case has been stalled – with the plaintiff claiming the singer’s location is “unpredictable”.
Marasco has tried multiple times to deliver the summons but has been unable to locate Swift.
Judge Aileen Cannon has warned her that failure to properly serve Swift could lead to the case being dismissed. A prior lawsuit by Marasco had Swift dismissed from the case for the same reason, though claims against Swift’s production company remain unresolved.
Why is Marasco suing Taylor Swift?
Marasco has accused Swift and several co-defendants of copying her original work in songs across many of her albums – including Lover, Folklore, Midnights and The Tortured Poets Department.
The ongoing federal copyright case seeks $25 million in damages.
Marasco asked Cannon to extend the deadline to serve defendants and allow alternative forms of service.
Marasco also detailed her many attempts to serve Swift, which involved contacting sheriff’s offices in California, Tennessee, New York and Rhode Island.
Frustratingly, a sheriff visited a California property three times in March and April – but according to Marasco, they were “denied access past the gate, stating that Swift was ‘not home’”.
In Tennessee, a Davidson County sheriff made one attempt before returning an affidavit of non-service, stating that Swift “owns property at the address but does not reside there”.
Marasco contacted the New York’s Sheriff Office on April 7. On April 29, she learned that the documents were processed and service attempts would start, which could take the office three to four weeks to complete.
However, the Rhode Island Sheriff’s Office received the legal documents after a security guard told a process server to turn them over to the nearest police station.
The sheriff’s office told Marasco that the process server would be arrested for trespassing if she returned to the property.
What happens now?
Marasco filed her original lawsuit in April 2024, claiming Swift’s lyrics and visuals included “creative elements” lifted from her published poetry without credit or consent.
The artist said she had “exhausted all other means” of serving Swift through conventional channels and turned to Florida’s secretary of state as a last resort before the pop singer was dismissed from the case.
Judge Cannon has ordered that none of the co-defendants – including Swift’s collaborators Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner, along with Universal Music Group and Republic Records – respond to the suit until all parties are served.
“This ordeal has been exhausting and very time consuming. I am tired,” Marasco revealed.
Marasco is also asking the court to reimburse $631.30 spent on sheriffs and process servers.
Cannon has yet to rule on Marasco’s motion to allow alternative service and extend the service deadline from May 29 to June 15, but has confirmed that the case will not move forward until all parties are properly served.
