Boy George receives brutal news over rights as Culture Club faces money woes

Culture Club frontman Boy George is at risk of losing the rights to his stage name and the earning potential of his band's biggest hits after agreements expired

Boy George is at risk of losing the trademark to his stage name after his old band amassed a staggering £12 million in debts.

The 63-year-old musician - whose real name is George Alan O'Dowd - is the lead singer of the iconic new wave band Culture Club who first rose to prominence in the 1980s and enjoyed smash hits with the singles Do You Really Want to Hurt Me and Karma Chameleon. But the group and the singer are at risk over debts, trademark rights, and a controlling company that could be forced to sell up.

Reports emerged this weekend that O'Dowd trademarked his stage name back in 2014 - but the agreement is said to have expired in December 2024. It is also said that protection rights relating to Culture Club expired last year too - leaving the project at risk of becoming the target of a finance company.

What's more, the band’s back catalogue is said to be at the centre of a legal battle and could be auctioned off to a company with a focus on profiting from classic hits. Mispocha Touring, the company that handled the band’s earnings from concerts, is said to have gone bust under the leadership of O'Dowd and bandmates Mikey Craig and Roy Hay in 2023.

The Sun on Sunday claims: "A report shows it owes media finance specialist MEP Capital £1.37million and failure to repay the cash will result in the band’s name, the name Boy George and the band’s back catalogue being taken from them. The band also has debts of nearly £12million — most of which is owed to US concert promoter Live Nation."

The report goes on to claim: "It has been given a repayment plan by administrators who are demanding £500,000 every six months until December 2027." The Mirror has contacted a representative of O'Dowd for comment.

Boy George himself, however, appears unbothered about the reports about the risk to his future - and has been taking to social media over the weekend to publicise an upcoming gig. He will be performing with Culture Club at the Uptown Festival in London this July.

Reposting a video clip in support of the booking, he shared a message reading: "Blackheath’s biggest ICON is coming back home this summer! That’s right. BOY GEORGE & CULTURE CLUB are returning to their origins to take over the stage at Uptown Festival on July 27th, ready to dazzle us once again with his unmistakable voice, bold fashion, and legendary stage presence."

The announcement continued: "Still need more reasons not to miss this? We’ve got more announcements to come, plus Uptown’s signature fairground rides, delicious food & drinks, a super exclusive VIP area, and an unbeatable atmosphere!"

There was a news report that grabbed the singer’s attention, however, and he shared a link to it via his Instagram Stories. He appeared alarmed over a report with a headline: “UK woman charged in court for bombarding her lover’s ex with videos of her farting" - the story of 25-year-old Rhiannon Evans who was charged after pleading guilty to “cyber-farting”.

Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads.