This month, if you’ve been on social media at all, you’ve probably heard and seen girls refer to themselves as ” very demure.”
It all began on August 2, when Jools Lebron, a TikToker, uploaded a video discussing her “very demure” work dress.
One could contest that Kelly Ripa coined that expression for the first time in a 2014 interview with Nicki Minaj.
Though it’s encouraging that the term is going viral, it also proves that there’s no such thing as originality in this day and age.
However, Jefferson Bates went all out, filing to trademark most of Jools’ “demure” declaration, according to NBC News.
Bates did not identify Lebron in the lawsuit, which aims to obtain the rights to “Very Demure…Very Mindful.”
Jools Lebron, a TikToker who appears to have believed she owned the content, has spoken out against a man from Washington who applied to trademark their “demure” wave.
Take note that Jools’ video has received over 47.4 million views as of Monday, August 26.
Throughout the month, the Chicago-based TikToker has been frequently cited by celebrities, media outlets, and social media users for coining the phrase.
In the 38-second viral video, Jools Lebron states, “
“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.
Furthermore, Jools frequently used her “very demure” tagline in other comparable work prior to the external trademark attempt.
The creator discussed her newfound celebrity status and the “demure” term that helped her TikTok follower count reach two million or more during an August 19 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
She has also disclosed incredible stories of how the popular catchphrase has led to real-life incidents for her and her loved ones.
Despite Kelly Ripa and Nicki Minaj having used the term in the past, it’s clear who gave the “very demure” trend its current appeal.
It’s unknown why Bates applied without consulting Lebron, but when the creator found out, she expressed her feelings to her fans.
In her response video, Jools admitted that the “very demure” trademark was “f**king [her] up,” stating,
“Like I just invested so much money and time into this, and I feel like I did it wrong. I feel like I didn’t try hard enough. I feel like I dropped the ball because I wanted to do so much for my family,” she noted.