Dr. Dre’s estranged wife Nicole Young set social media ablaze when she claimed that she had legal and financial rights to her husband’s stage name and his classic album, The Chronic.
Couple that claim with Young’s legal request that Dre pay her $2 million a month while they iron out their acrimonious divorce, and she became a lightning rod for multiple debates on Twitter and Facebook.
The presiding Los Angeles County judge already struck down the exorbitant monthly allowance request. And on Monday, Nov. 23, 2020, the legendary music producer finally responded to Young trying to take half-ownership of his name and the album that changed music in the early 1990s.
According to The Blast, Dr. Dre’s camp points out two quick facts: that he had been using his stage monicker since the 1980s, even before he joined NWA. Secondly, The Chronic was produced in 1992, four years before he and Young were married.
In legal documents obtained by The Blast, Dre’s lawyer wrote this in his brief to the judge: “Plaintiff Nicole Young, after commencing divorce proceedings against Defendant Andre Young, seeking over $400 Million, then stealing almost $400,000.00 from an LLC that funds Defendant Young’s recording studio, draining its entire bank account, Plaintiff has decided that $400,400,000.00 and one lawsuit are not enough. She is now suing Defendant Young and another LLC in a separate lawsuit, having the temerity to claim that trademarks to Defendant Young’s performing name, “Dr. Dre,” and to his first solo album, entitled ‘The Chronic,’ have been unlawfully transferred from Defendant Young to his wholly-owned LLC.”
The documents also reiterate that Dr. Dre had been using the stage name 10 years before he met Young. In all, the case is deemed meritless by Dr. Dre, and his attorney wants the case thrown out.
Young counters that Dr. Dre, whose real name is Andre Young, did not opt to have his famous nickname trademarked until 1997, which would be after he and Young were married.
