TikToker Jools Lebron Made 'Demure' Go Viral, but Now She Might Not Own the Trademark

Jools Lebron, who skyrocketed to fame for coining 'very demure' on TikTok, is involved in some legal drama involving the trademark of the phrase

Jools Lebron is in a not-so-demure situation.

The TikTok creator who skyrocketed to fame for popularizing the phrase "very demure, very mindful" on the social media platform revealed in a now-deleted post that the expression has been filed for trademark by someone else.

According to legal documents obtained by PEOPLE, the trademark filing was submitted on Aug. 20 by a Washington-based individual.

In a since-deleted video, Lebron — who uploaded the initial "demure" video on Aug. 2 — explains her heartbreak over not attempting to "trademark fast enough." She adds, "I wanted this to do so much for my family and provide for my transition and I just feel like I dropped the ball."

PEOPLE has reached out to Lebron for comment but did not hear back at the time of publication.

The trademark filing comes after a whirlwind of increased notoriety for Lebron and a week after the TikToker made her late-night debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live. RuPaul was the guest co-host for the episode and asked Lebron how he was doing as a host, to which she fittingly replied, "Very demure, very mindful," as the audience cheered.

Read on to learn more about Jools Lebron and her trademark filing drama.

Related: Here's Whether You're More Brat or Demure, Based on Your Zodiac Sign

Who is Jools Lebron?

Jools Lebron is a Chicago-based social media creator with over 2M followers on TikTok. The influencer rose to fame for popularizing the word "demure" in a video posted to the platform in August 2024.

While Lebron largely creates content capitalizing on the word, which has exploded into a viral social media trend and pop culture phenomenon used by many in regular conversation today, the majority of the TikTok content she posted prior included "Get Ready With Me (GRWM)" videos and makeup tutorials.

How did Jools Lebron make 'demure' go viral?

The demure trend began when Lebron posted a TikTok breaking down the word on Aug. 2, garnering 8.8M views to date. In the video, the creator explains to her followers "how to be demure at work," breaking down her look for the day and how she's "very mindful" about it.

"You see how I come to work? Very demure,” she said in the clip. “I do my makeup, I lay my wig, I do a little braid. I flat iron my hair. . . . Let’s not forget to be demure divas."

Since releasing the initial video, she has uploaded various other TikToks similar to the video about being demure at work. Among them include "how to board the plane in a demure and respectful way," "how to do your makeup demure for a family night out" and "how to be demure in Vegas."

Related: Jennifer Lopez Hops on 'Demure' Trend with Video Demonstrating How She Drinks Cocktails: 'I Don't Just Chug It'

What has Jools Lebron said about the 'demure' trend?

Outside of uploading videos to TikTok using demure in different contexts, Lebron has opened up about the trend going viral and the positive ways it's affected her life since.

In a TikTok shared on Aug. 14, Lebron, who identifies as transgender, encouraged her followers to “make the video” because “TikTok changed my life.” She said, “Maybe you should make the videos,... Because one day, I was playing cashier and making videos on my break and now, I’m flying across [the] country to host events."

Lebron also said she will be able to “finance the rest of my transition” as a result of her skyrocketed fame. In another TikTok clip posted on Aug. 16, the creator shared her appreciation in an emotional video.

"Everyone's asking me how I feel about what's going on and I'm just so overwhelmed," Lebron said. "Like I feel so grateful ... like I just landed in L.A., and I'm just so overwhelmed. I had so much to do as soon as I got here. But I'm living my f------ dream, bitch."

Related: Penn Badgley Embraces Viral TikTok Trend, Has 'Demure' and 'Mindful' Last Day Filming Season 5 of You

Who filed to trademark 'very demure'?

The phrase "very demure, very mindful" was filed for trademark by Jefferson A. Bates on Aug. 20, according to legal documents obtained by PEOPLE. He filed the request in Washington and Lebron, who popularized the expression, is not named on the application.

In the now-deleted TikTok video where Lebron opened up about the trademark debacle, she tearfully noted how it will prevent her from releasing merchandise. "This merch situation is really f--ing me up... I've just invested so much time and money into this and I feel like I did it wrong."

"I feel like I didn't try hard enough," the creator continued in the clip. "I wanted this to do so much for my family and provide for my transition and I just feel like I dropped the ball."

While the trademark filing is still pending as of Aug. 26, fans have spoken out in support of Lebron on social media, and users familiar with the legal matter are sharing their advice on how trademarking works.

"Hi! Publicist here. Trademarks are often granted on 'first used' and not 'first filed.' Jools can challenge this filing and WIN, and I hope a lawyer takes this case on for free. She deserves the rewards of this trend!" wrote Tenille Clarke on X (formerly Twitter) in reaction to Lebron's TikTok.

Bates' trademark filing requests are for the use of "advertising, marketing and promotional services," according to the legal documents. However, per the United States Patent and Trademark Office, "applying to register your trademark doesn’t guarantee it will register."

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.