Dispute Over Charli XCX ‘Apple’ Dance Ends as TikToker Kelley Heyer and Roblox Settle Lawsuit

Kelley Heyer, the TikToker who created the viral dance to Charli XCX's massive hit song Apple, has settled her lawsuit with Roblox.

The content creator reportedly pursued legal action against Roblox back in April this year, alleging at the time that the company raked in $123,000 from selling her routine as an "emote," which is a celebratory dance players can do in a game, without her permission.

At the time, the company asserted to the outlet that it took intellectual property "very seriously" and was confident there was no wrongdoing. Billboard Pro has now reported that Heyer has since reached a settlement with the gaming platform. As of this writing, however, further details about the same remain scarce.

The details of Kelley Heyer's lawsuit against Roblox explored:

The Cut reported back in April that Kelley Heyer's dance routine to Apple saw several prolific celebrities doing it, including Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glenn Powell, and even the singer herself.

In her lawsuit, filed on April 11 in the Central District Court of California, Kelley Heyer shared her dance routine online in June 2024. A few months later, she alleged that Roblox Corporation approached her about using the dance in its game, though they began selling it as an emote before the discussions were finalized.

Per BBC, Roblox, which sees nearly 80 million users per day, had signed with Charli XCX last year to use her music and likeness for Dress to Impress, which is one of its most famous games. Miki Anzai, who represented Kelley Heyer, said that the "signed agreement" with Roblox over the dance steps never came to fruition.

"Kelley is an independent creator who should be compensated fairly for her work and we saw no other option than to file suit to prove that," she said. "We remain willing and open to settle and hope to come to a peaceful agreement."

The gaming platform axed the emote in November 2024, though according to Kelley Heyer's complaint, it raked in about $123,000 in sales across 60,000 Apple Dance emotes.

“Roblox moved forward using Kelley’s IP without a signed agreement,” Miki told The Cut.

However, a spokesperson for the platform told The Cut that it

“takes the protection of intellectual property very seriously and is committed to protecting intellectual property rights of independent developers and creators.” They also said that the platform is “confident in its position and the propriety of its dealings in this matter and looks forward to responding in court.”

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