Jools Lebron’s ‘Demure’ TikTok trend has reportedly been trademarked by someone else. (@joolieannie/TikTok)
Trans content creator Jools Lebron, who popularised the “very demure” TikTok trend, was left in tears after someone else reportedly filed to trademark her viral phrase.
TMZ reported on 23 August that a person under the name of Jefferson Bates, from Washington, filed to trademark Lebron’s phrase, “very demure, very mindful”.
According to court documents obtained by the outlet, the trademark is intended for use in marketing, advertising, and promotion.
In a since-deleted TikTok video which saw the star crying, Lebron said that the situation was “really f***ing me up”, adding that she “invested so much money and time into this”.
The makeup mogul said in the 24 August clip: “I feel like I did it wrong, I feel like I didn’t try hard enough, and I wanted this to do so much for my family and provide for my transition, and I just feel like I dropped the ball.
“I feel like I f***ed up, and someone else has it now,” she said of the trademark. “And I don’t even know what I could have done better because I didn’t have the resources.”
PinkNews has contacted a representative of Jools Lebron for a comment on the mater.
The TikTok star’s success began when she posted a selfie video on the platform earlier this month, satirically telling her followers how to act “mindful” and “cutesy” when going to work.
“You see how I do my makeup for work? Very demure. Very mindful. I don’t come to work with a green-cut crease. I don’t look like a clown when I go to work. I don’t do too much. I’m very mindful while I’m at work. You see how I look very presentable? The way I came to the interview is the way I go to the job,” she said.
The TikToker popularised the phrase on the social media site, even catching the attention of Penn Badgley to Snoopy. After experiencing viral fame, Lebron previously announced that she now has the money to pay for her gender-affirming care.
“Hey, maybe you should make the videos. Because one day I was playing cashier and making videos on my break and now I’m flying across countries to host events and I’m gonna be able to finance the rest of my transition,” she said in a TikTok video. “I finally said it without crying.”
