Roblox Sued Over Charli XCX Dance — Have We Really Learned Nothing Since the Fortnite Days?

It’s giving 2019 déjà vu, but this time, Charli XCX is on the loading screen.

Roblox is back in legal hot water, this time for allegedly using a viral dance — the so-called Apple Dance — without permission. The lawsuit, filed by TikTok creator and choreographer Kelly Heyer, claims Roblox went ahead and sold the dance as an emote after reaching out but before actually securing the rights. The estimated revenue from this unsanctioned move? Around $123,000. Oof.

Now, if this story sounds familiar, it should. This is basically a spiritual sequel to the Fortnite Emote Wars of 2018–2019, when Alfonso Ribeiro (Carlton from Fresh Prince) and other creators tried to sue Epic for allegedly ripping their moves. Those lawsuits didn’t go far, mostly due to copyright technicalities. But it did force companies like Epic to start doing things by the book. Or so we thought.

What Happened This Time?

The short version: Heyer posted the Apple Dance on TikTok in summer 2024. It blew up. Fortnite licensed it properly and added it as an emote by December. Roblox also wanted in — they reached out in August 2024 but allegedly launched the emote before a deal was finalized. That emote reportedly sold well before being pulled from the store.

Heyer’s lawyer, Miki Anzai, didn’t mince words:

“Roblox moved forward using Kelley's IP without a signed agreement.”

They’re open to a settlement, but for now, they’ve filed suit.

Charli XCX herself isn’t part of the lawsuit. While she's performed the dance during her BRAT tour, she didn’t create it. The legal claim makes it clear: the dance is the work of Kelly Heyer alone.

Roblox issued a pretty standard corporate statement: they “take IP protection seriously” and are “confident in position.” Translation? See you in court.

It’s not the first time Roblox has been called out over intellectual property. The platform has a long, messy history with user-generated content, which is both its biggest strength and biggest legal risk. When your whole platform is built on letting kids and teens make games, animations, and assets, moderation gets complicated fast.

And to be fair, this isn't a case of some rando uploading the dance. The suit alleges Roblox's corporate side reached out, knew who created it, and still pulled the trigger early.

This feels like a rerun because, well, it kind of is. These platforms are massive — Roblox has over 70 million daily users — and dances are a big part of how they monetize. But the line between tribute and theft is still dangerously blurry, especially when creators aren’t big-name studios.

And while Fortnite eventually cleaned up its act, Roblox has always operated in this weird grey area between game platform and social network. It’s a bit of everything — a game engine, a storefront, a creative sandbox. That makes it super appealing, but also super messy when it comes to things like IP rights.

Best-case scenario? Heyer gets paid, Roblox reworks how it handles licensing, and everyone moves on. Worst-case? More lawsuits, more creators getting burned, and Roblox once again proving that scale doesn’t equal accountability.

If there's a lesson here, it’s this: creators matter. Their work isn’t free, even if it goes viral. Especially when companies start slapping a price tag on it.

So, Roblox is being sued for allegedly using TikTok creator Kelly Heyer’s viral Apple Dance without proper permission. The emote sold for around $123k before being pulled. It’s a situation eerily similar to the emote drama Fortnite went through years ago. Roblox says it did nothing wrong. The court will decide.