Charli XCX’s viral ‘Apple’ dance creator is reportedly suing ‘Roblox’

17 April, 2025

Charli XCX Roblox

Kelley Heyer, a TikTok creator who came up with the viral ‘Apple’ dance trend, is reportedly suing Roblox.

Charli XCX released ‘Apple’ last August as the third single from ‘Brat’. The track quickly blew up on TikTok and soundtracked a viral dance trend that was originally started by Heyer. 

Looking to get in on the ‘Brat’ action, Roblox launched an official Charli XCX update for its fashion-focused mini-game Dress To Impress the same month. As well as a number of Brat-inspired outfits and catwalk themes, players got access to an emote that recreated the ‘Apple’ dance.

It’s now being reported that Heyer is suing Roblox over this. According to Polygon, Heyer filed the lawsuit in California earlier this week. It’s alleged that she was negotiating with Roblox to officially license the dance to them for Dress To Impress but Roblox went on to release the emote before they’d come to an agreement.

It’s claimed more than 60,000 people purchased the ‘Apple’ dance during the two months it was available in Dress To Impress. Heyer has since licensed the dance to Fortnite (with it used in an event in December 2024) and Netflix, but she still hasn’t received any money from Roblox. 

“Roblox moved forward using Kelley’s IP without a signed agreement,” attorney Miki Anzai said in a statement. “Kelley is an independent creator who should be compensated fairly for her work and we saw no other option than to file suit to prove that. We remain willing and open to settle and hope to come to a peaceful agreement.”

Responding to the story, Roblox released a statement that reads: “As a platform powered by a community of creators, Roblox takes the protection of intellectual property very seriously and is committed to protecting intellectual property rights of independent developers and creators to brands and artists both on and off the platform. Roblox is confident in its position and the propriety of its dealings in this matter and looks forward to responding in court.”

Earlier this year it was confirmed Roblox was being investigated by the US Government. It was revealed in February that the gaming platform is involved in an ongoing investigation being led by the US Securities and Exchange Commission, whose primary goal is to crack down on manipulation of financial markets, but further details are still unavailable. 

Meanwhile Charli XCX recently annoyed Green Day fans after she was spotted wearing a sash that said she should have headlined Coachella last weekend, over the iconic pop-punk band. 

In other news, Evanescence’s Amy Lee has spoken about her love of The Legend Of Zelda series, with her only tattoo inspired by the long-running video game franchise.

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