TikTok creator Kelley Heyer has filed a lawsuit against Roblox, alleging that the platform used her choreography set to Charli XCX’s song “Apple” without securing permission.
Heyer first posted her now-famous dance on TikTok in June 2024, capitalizing on the viral popularity of Charli XCX’s hit album “Brat”. Her choreography rapidly gained enormous attention, becoming a popular trend online. Its popularity was such that Charli XCX herself featured the routine in her live performances, even inviting Heyer onstage during a New York City concert.
Following this success, two major online games—Fortnite and Roblox—began selling digital “emotes” allowing players’ avatars to perform the dance. While Fortnite reached an official licensing agreement with Heyer, she contends Roblox failed to obtain any permission despite capitalizing commercially on her creation.
Heyer estimates that Roblox generated over $123,000 through the sale of approximately 60,000 emotes based on her choreography. In response to the suit, Roblox released a statement affirming its commitment to protecting intellectual property rights, emphasizing that the platform values and supports the creative contributions of artists and content creators alike.
