Miley Cyrus denies plagiarising Bruno Mars song when creating Grammy-winning hit Flowers

Miley Cyrus has hit back at allegations she copied Bruno Mars’ song when creating her Grammy-winning hit Flowers.

Miley Cyrus responded to allegations she copied Bruno Mars’ 2012 track When I Was Your Man when creating her 2023 hit Flowers.

According to court documents obtained by People on Tuesday, lawyers for the pop star denied the copyright infringement claims brought forth by Tempo Music Investments in September.

Cyrus’ team argued that Tempo Music Investments only own a portion of Mars’ ballad through the song’s co-writer Philip Lawrence because they hold his catalogue.

The song’s other co-writers Ari Levine and Andrew Wyatt, however, aren’t affiliated with the group and the former Disney star’s lawyer argued that “only owners of exclusive rights may sue for copyright infringement”.

Miley Cyrus accepts the Record Of The Year award for Flowers at the 2024 Grammy Awards on February 4. Picture: Valerie Macon / AFP

Cyrus performed her hit song onstage at LA’s Crypto.com Arena on February 4. Picture: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

The See You Again singer’s lawyer added, “an assignee of only one co-author lacks exclusive rights and, therefore, also lacks standing to sue for infringement”.

Cyrus’ legal team requested the case be dismissed.

In September, a lawsuit obtained by TMZ alleged that the Hannah Montana star’s Grammy-winning hit and Mars’ songs shared “many musical similarities,” including the harmony, chorus, melody and chord progressions.

Grammy winner Bruno Mars’ song When I Was Your Man draws similarities with Flowers. Picture: AFP PHOTO / Don EMMERT

Mars is not part of the lawsuit but Tempo Music Investments, who own a portion of his ballad, are the plaintiffs. Picture: AFP PHOTO / Emmanuel DUNAND

Tempo Music Investments argued that Cyrus, 32, “intentionally” took inspiration from the Talking to Moon singer’s track.

Mars, 39, wasn’t listed as a plaintiff in the lawsuit.

Flowers won Cyrus Record of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance at the 2024 Grammys in February.

“This award is amazing, but I really hope that it doesn’t change anything, because my life was beautiful yesterday,” she told the audience during her acceptance speech.

Cyrus, seen here in the music video for Flowers, has requested the lawsuit be dismissed.

“Not everyone in the world will get a Grammy, but everyone in this world is spectacular, so please don’t think that this is important.”

Cyrus allegedly wrote the song about her failed marriage with ex-husband Liam Hemsworth, whom she was wed from 2018 to 2020.

“We were good / We were gold / Kind of dream that can’t be sold / We were right / ‘Til we weren’t / Built a home and watched it burn,” she sings, alluding to her and the Hunger Games star’s multimillion-dollar Malibu estate, which was destroyed in a 2018 fire.

The Wrecking Ball singer released the song on January 12, 2023, hours before Hemsworth’s 33rd birthday.

This article originally appeared in Page Six and was reproduced with permission

Originally published as Miley Cyrus denies plagiarising Bruno Mars song when creating Grammy-winning hit Flowers