Photo Credit: Isaac Hayes in 1972 by United Press International / CC by 4.0
Isaac Hayes’ estate reaches a private settlement with Donald Trump after accusing his campaign of the unauthorized use of a 1966 classic hit, “Hold On, I’m Coming,” at rallies.
Isaac Hayes’ estate previously sued Donald Trump and his campaign in 2024 over the unauthorized use of the 1966 hit, “Hold On, I’m Coming” at rallies. Now, the estate has reached a private settlement, putting the infringement case to bed. While the terms of the deal were not publicly disclosed, the estate was originally demanding $3 million.
According to court documents, the estate accused Trump of personally selecting the song and playing it at least 133 times at his campaign rallies without prior authorization. The filing also alleged that the campaign had recorded and distributed videos containing the track despite objections from Hayes’ family.
Hayes’ son, Isaac Hayes III, wrote in a post on social media: “Donald Trump represents the worst in integrity and class with his sexual abuse of women and racist rhetoric.” He added, “We will now deal with this very swiftly.”
On Monday, Hayes’ estate filed a voluntary dismissal in federal court in Georgia. Representatives for the estate said in a statement that the lawsuit had been “mutually resolved,” and that the family was “satisfied with the outcome.” The family added that it was proud to have helped spark “a broader conversation surrounding intellectual property rights and the obligation to honor creators and their estates.”
“On behalf of the law office of Brittney R. Dobbins and our team at Walker & Associates, we are honored to have represented Isaac Hayes III and the estate of Isaac Hayes Jr. and happy to see this matter resolved,” said estate lawyer James L. Walker Jr. in a statement. “We have no further comments.”
Meanwhile, representatives for Trump did not respond to media requests for comment. Previously, Trump and his lawyers attempted to have the lawsuit dismissed, but a judge sided with the estate and allowed the case to proceed.
