Miley Cyrus is facing a plagiarism lawsuit over her hit song “Flowers,” which is alleged to have copied elements from Bruno Mars’ “When I Was Your Man.” The lawsuit not only names Cyrus but also her co-writers Michael Pollack and Gregory Hein (aka Aldae), as well as Sony Music and Apple.
Bruno Mars is not directly involved in the lawsuit. Instead, Tempo Music Investments, which owns a copyright stake in “When I Was Your Man” after acquiring Philip Lawrence’s catalog (a co-writer on the 2012 song), is bringing the suit forward.
The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles and reviewed by Entertainment Weekly, claims that “Flowers” borrows significant melodic, harmonic, and lyrical elements from Mars’ track. It argues that “Flowers” would not exist without “When I Was Your Man,” citing similarities that were noted by listeners as soon as “Flowers” was released in January 2023.
The choruses of both songs have been compared, with Cyrus singing about self-empowerment in “Flowers” and Mars reflecting on lost love in “When I Was Your Man.” The lawsuit also points out that the opening vocal line of “Flowers” shares chords with Mars’ song.
Cyrus has spoken about the song, revealing that its original lyrics were more somber. The plaintiffs are seeking to halt public performances and distribution of “Flowers,” as well as claiming undisclosed damages.
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