Eminem Files Opposition to Stop Podcast Trademark From 'Real Housewives of Potomac' Stars

The rapper is trying to stop the reality stars from trademarking their podcast name.

Grammy-winning rapper Eminem surprised many when he filed an opposition against The Real Housewives of Potomac stars, Gizelle Bryant and Robyn Dixon, to stop them from trademarking the name of their podcast, Reasonably Shady, for merchandise.

Based on the opposition documentation obtained by Rolling Stone, Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Mathers, and his lawyer, filed the opposition on Tuesday, Feb. 14, stating that Eminem "believes he will be damaged" if the United States Patent and Trademark Office grants Bryant and Dixon their request.

The filing further argues that the "dominant" part of the Reasonably Shady podcast name is "identical" to the two monikers Eminem has been known as and sold merchandise under for decades, "Slim Shady" and "Shady," saying that therefore, "confusion is unavoidable."

Eminem believes that this will lead people to think that he and the podcast are connected in some way, when they are not.

Bryant and Dixon started their podcast in May 2021, and listenership has been steadily growing since then, leading the two to apply for the trademark last year, according to the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

The original trademark filing, which can be found by searching the Trademark Electronic Search System, is to use the name for a variety of goods and services including makeup, candles, water bottles, mugs, clothing, and paddle boards.

Eminem has owned trademarks for both "Slim Shady" and "Shady" for the past two decades, covering merchandise, touring, records, and more, and he first began using the monikers as a rapper back in the 1990s.

Although it is not mentioned in the filing in any way, Eminem's daughter, Hailie Jade Mathers, also has a podcast under the name Just A Little Shady, which could cause confusion as well.

A lawyer for the Real Housewives of Potomac stars, Andrea Evans, told Rolling Stone in response to Eminem's opposition, "Robyn Dixon and Gizelle Bryant intend to defend their trademark application, as there is no likelihood of confusion and consumers are not likely to confuse REASONABLY SHADY with Mather’s SHADY/SLIM SHADY/SHADY LIMITED trademark registrations. The trademarks are not confusingly similar and the services are not related."

Bryant and Dixon will have 40 days to respond to Eminem's filing of the opposition.