Beyoncé hit with cease-and-desist letter over Las Vegas Sphere concert video

Beyoncé has been informed that Sphere is no prop.

Attorneys representing Sphere Entertainment Executive Chairman and CEO James Dolan have issued a cease-and-desist letter to the “Cowboy Carter” superstar, a copy of which the Review-Journal obtained Thursday morning. The demand is that Beyoncé stop playing a video in her concert that shows her picking up and playing with Sphere.

This is during a video cutaway showing Beyoncé walking tall over the Strip, a scene reminiscent of the 1958 horror movie, “Attack of the 50-Foot Woman.” The video premiered along with the tour launch at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Monday night and again Wednesday. Her next show is at SoFi on Sunday night.

The letter states a Monday deadline to drop the video.

Reps for the “Single Ladies” hitmaker have not responded to email requests for comment.

The legal filing indicates Beyoncé was not teasing a future residency at the Bulbous Wonder. She was reportedly in talks with Dolan a couple of years ago to bring a residency to Las Vegas.

However, sources familiar with Sphere operations confirm Beyoncé has never actually set foot in the venue. The video pick-up actually qualifies as her first visit to Sphere.

The letter was sent Thursday to Beyoncé’s Parkwood Entertainment production company, from the New York firm King & Spalding. From the first paragraph (SEG is Sphere Entertainment Group):

“It has recently come to SEG’s attention that a Cowboy Carter tour interlude video contains the unauthorized use of SEG’s intellectual property. SEG is sure that multiple aspects of the interlude video, including other brands, clips and music, were duly cleared by the tour with rights permissions from the rights holders whose works were used in the video, as is common practice. SEG, however, was never asked and the prominent appearance and manipulation of SEG’s Sphere™ venue in the video is unauthorized.

“SEG demands that the tour cease and desist from using the Sphere™ venue in the video immediately—in addition to refraining from using this imagery on any merchandise, promotional or marketing materials, or in tour movies, etc. Should you fail to do so, SEG reserves all rights to take further action as SEG deems appropriate without notice to you.”

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John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.