Eminem’s in a bit of a pickle. He’s asked for a protective order against Gizelle Bryant and Robyn Dixon. Why? Well, there’s a trademark dispute going on. It’s all about the “Real Housewives of Potomac” stars’ podcast, “Reasonably Shady.”
Eminem, also known as Marshall Mathers, Slim Shady, and just Shady, doesn’t want to show up in person for a deposition. He filed the motion on Dec. 15. The scoop comes from docs obtained by AllHipHop.
His argument? It’d be “unduly burdensome” for him to appear in court. He claims he has a “limited knowledge of the subjects at issue.”
His lawyers have offered up three people who could appear instead. Among them is Paul Rosenberg, the rapper’s manager. They reckon these folks have “equal and superior knowledge to [him] on the relevant topics.”
But here’s the kicker. Despite this, Dixon and Bryant are still keen on deposing Mathers. So, his lawyers are asking for “a protective order precluding the deposition of Marshall Mathers.”
Dixon and Bryan’s lawyer, Andrea Evans, has had her say. She told Page Six that Eminem filed the order “to preserve the confidentiality of the information.” She also mentioned that Mathers is refusing to be deposed.
Evans says it’s odd that Mathers can file a lawsuit but won’t make himself available to be deposed. She’s filed a motion to compel him to do so. She’d “like to question Mathers at least about his use of the expressions Slim Shady and Shady.”
The trademark battle started when the “Real Housewives” stars filed to trademark their podcast’s name. They planned to sell various pieces of merchandise in February 2023.
But Eminem wasn’t having it. Just a few weeks later, he filed an opposition to Bryant and Dixon’s trademark request. The 51-year-old rapper claimed that his brand would be “damaged,” and the two brands could “cause confusion in the minds of consumers.”
The reality TV stars didn’t take this lying down. They fought back against the millionaire rapper and asked the judge to deny his opposition in a March 2023 filing.
“Robyn Dixon and Gizelle Bryant deny any likelihood of confusion between Mather’s trademarks and their Reasonably Shady mark,” they told Page Six. They’re ready to defend any allegations against them regarding their intellectual property.
Bryant and Dixon launched their “Reasonably Shady” podcast in 2021. It’s since become one of the most successful podcasts released by Bravo stars.
