It’s official! A judge has granted Carmen Electra’s request to change her legal name from Tara Leigh Patrick to her iconic stage name.
According to TMZ, the Baywatch star had sought to get her name legally changed a couple of months ago. She will now be recognized as “Carmen Electra” instead of her birth name on government documents. The official name change documents were filed on Dec. 29, 2023. The reason behind the name was due to the actress wanting a “fresh start” in 2024.
The media outlet also revealed that the stage name was bestowed upon her by music icon Prince when she auditioned for an all-girl group he was creating in the early 1990s. Although she was cut from the group, Carmen Electra just stuck with her.
Not only did Prince become a huge part of her career, Electra praised him over the years. Following his passing, Electra declared, “He always talked about life, not death. He was excited about music. But, back then he talked a lot about God, but not about religion. Prince was like a god. Maybe that’s why I’m so shocked he’s passed away.”
Electra also remembered what the music icon said to her when she was cut from the all-girl group and when he dubbed her Carmen. “I received a call from Prince saying I think you should be your own artist and not back up anyone else. I’m going to write you a song and if you like it, you can record it. The name of the song was ‘Carmen on Top.’ My name is Tara, so I was confused. I loved the song. I loved it, but he said, ‘You’re not a Tara. You’re not Tara. You’re Carmen.’”
Carmen Electra Admitted to Being Hesitant About Her Stage Name
In 2014, Carmen Electra spoke to The Yo Show about her stage name and how she wasn’t confident with the name originally.
“I auditioned for an all-girl group that he was putting together and he ended up signing me to his label Paisley Park,” Electra explained, per Yahoo! Music. “After I danced for him he said, ‘You look like Electra. That should be your name.’”
However, Carmen Electra first thought the name sounded like a superhero. “So I was hesitant but it just sorta grew on me and that’s it. I’m Electra now.”
Electra also shared Access Hollywood the exact words that Prince said when he introduced the stage name to her. “He gave me my name. He said, ‘You don’t look like a Tara.’ Because my real name is Tara, Tara Leigh Patrick is my real name. [He said], ‘You look like a Car. A Carmen.’ He said, ‘The C is for the Car, and the m is for the men at my shows.’ And I was like, ‘Well that’s fun!’ Then he said, ‘Well we gotta give, I dunno, when you dance you’re electric.’”