Usurped

She walked into the retirement home library

like a bull in a china shop

holding her green covered book,

“The Let Them Theory”

announcing loudly ”her legacy” that she had published.

The grandmother, while doing a puzzle, shushed her, and said,

“Put it on the book shelf next to the girl who was here first,”

pointing to a framed poem by Cassie Phillips,

next to the photos of “Let Them” tattoos and merchandise from three years before

this woman 

entered this room, 

with this book.

Returning to the puzzle while the woman read the poem,

the grandmother heard the woman

whisper to herself,

“All the pieces were already here, I did usurp them.”

© Sage Justice March 2025 This concept/theory/poem is original to Sage Justice. If you use it, please give credit and link to original work. Thank you.

UPDATE

On March 12, 2025, in an interview with The New York Post, Mel Robbins denied any prior knowledge of having been influenced by the writings of Cassie Phillips. Nevertheless, the evidence remains that Mel Robbins was notified six months before the publication of her book of the existence of Cassie Phillips, the “Let Them” poem, merchandise, and tattoo movement, by the trademark office in the denial of her first attempt to trademark the words, “Let Them.”*

Regardless of whether Mel Robbins knew about Cassie Phillips before writing her book, or not, she knows now. Mel could simply make a public statement saying something along the lines of, “Hey everyone, it’s come to my attention that a poet by the name of Cassie Phillips was the first to get the tattoo “Let Them,” following her poem by the same name, after if went viral in 2022 and kicked off the “Let Them” tattoo and merchandise movement. Let’s give her some love and support and buy her book too.”

As author Stephanie Peirolo writes, “If Robbins, or anyone who worked for her or her publisher, had bothered to search the term ‘Let Them’, they would have found the poem written by Cassie Phillips that got lots of attention online years before Robbins’ book. A simple acknowledgement in Robbins’ book that this woman wrote a poem called ‘Let Them’ with the same ideas Robbins used would have been sufficient. Artists get inspired by other people’s work. I am writing this in response to Sage Justice’s piece. But I’m saying where my inspiration came from and linking to her work. Because that’s what you do.”

It’s far easier to lift a sister up than it is to try and hold her down.

Is a Class Action Suit to Follow?

This case matters. It’s a seminal moment in the publishing world, in the aftermath of the introduction of ChatGPT into mainstream use and Meta’s use of OpenAI. If we allow it to go unchecked and not be rectified, we are setting a precedent that it’s acceptable for celebrities to profit off of the work of uncredited writers, poets, and artists, simply by claiming they had no prior knowledge; and that is not acceptable. A class action legal case will likely be the result of this unethical behavior if each person whose work has been usurped has the courage to fight back in court as a group and not quietly take a pay out privately. That’s a big ask that many people are manipulated out of doing. If we don’t find our brave- our work will continue to be pillaged.

As cited on Amanda B. Hinton’s The Editing Spectrum, author Daisy Buchanan wrote, “I’ve just learned that my four novels – Insatiable, Careering, Limelight and Pity Party – have been pirated by LibGen, a ‘shadow library’ made up of millions of books and articles that have been pirated. If an organisation wants to make use of your intellectual property – whether they want to read a bit out on the radio or take your idea and turn it into a musical – permissions must be sought, and fees must be paid. According to the Guardian, a group of authors have already sued Meta for training their AI bots on LibGen, knowing the data was pirated.”

“I don’t use AI in my writing. Not here, not in my book. Ever. If you do, here’s a simple suggestion. If AI spits out a great phrase or resonant term of art all you have to do is pop it in a search bar and see what comes up. If that fragment of IP was part of someone else’s original hard work, just credit them. The same way you would if you were writing an academic paper and used someone else’s idea. The footnote of grace, the nod to the people who came before you, the humble acceptance of your influences, all in a floating number next to a word that guides your eyes to the tiny print at the bottom of the page that says, ‘here’s where that came from.’ Bring back the footnote.”1

My Stake in this Claim

This plight for justice began as a desire to simply support a sister. In the process, it became evident that without change, all writers would be in danger of losing authority over their intellectual property and the income attached.

My work has been plagiarized more times than I can count, and I can no longer afford to stay silent. This is my livelihood. Being a writer is the only job I can hold from bed, as someone with a disability who never knows when or if I can work or for how long. My words are my lifeblood, and they are all I have to pay the bills.

I’ve devoted my life to the arts, community service, and as a caregiver for my loved ones, all of which has largely amounted to unpaid labor. As a self-employed, creative writer, my job doesn’t come with a benefits package, a pension, or even a secure and steady income; but it’s my passion and what I do best in life, and I deserve to be paid fair compensation and receive credit for my creations.

For some of us, writing is a harmonious marriage between activism and art form. I can spend six months lovingly crafting a single sentence into what I hope will be a quotable aphorism that outlives me. It’s not okay with me for someone else to profit off of and take credit for my words, for your words, for anyone’s words, without fair compensation—especially when it’s so easy to simply give credit.

One of the best things to come of the unfortunate event of breaking the story about Mel Robbins and plagiarism, is that it’s creating better practices for us all: to be more thoughtful, kind, caring, generous, and considerate in giving each other credit for our work. It’s bringing back the conversation around plagiarism. Hopefully, it’s cementing the understanding that it is stealing and not just business.

Ultimately, if Mel Robbins is to leave a legacy behind, attached to the words “Let Them,” it may be because her actions of alleged plagiarism were what ultimately led to new rules and regulations against plagiarism. We need to protect writers from people who are doing what Mel Robbins is allegedly doing: usurping and profiting off of a movement that began with an unknown and not sharing credit or compensation.

Please follow along and read the full story … which is still in progress.

Part one: Mel Robbins and Plagiarism: Meet Cassie Phillips, the original author of Let Them

Part two: Can Mel Robbins Trademark Your Words? Let’s Find Out

Part three: Mel Robbins, Cassie Phillips & The Courage to do the Right Thing

Part four: Beware: This Book is Not by the Real Cassie Phillips

Part five: Public Pressure & Mel Robbins: You Helped Make this Happen

Part six: Usurped: Is A Class Action Suit to Follow?

Sage Justice is an award-winning poet, author, critically acclaimed performing artist, and intensely sincere, bold humanitarian activist. She lives and works with her husband and daughter.

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Restorative Justice is Happening!

On March 6, 2025, Mel Robbins allowed her daughter, Sawyer Robbins, to have her name on the cover of the book they wrote together. She announced it on Instagram with the message to her daughter on her birthday, “Happy 26th!!! [birthday] … The next print run you’re on the cover” (albeit in a much smaller font size). Are we to interpret that credit for work is being given as a birthday gift, three months after its initial release in which only Mel’s name was on the cover?

This makes me happy for Sawyer Robbins; because every writer deserves credit for their research. Now we continue to campaign for Cassie Phillips to get the credit she also deserves!

In January, I reached out to Mel directly and said, “I’m confused. I just listened to your book where you mention several times that your daughter Sawyer co-wrote it with you, but I didn’t see her name on the cover as a co-author. I also don’t understand how you can say you discovered this ‘theory’ when “Let Them” was written by Cassie Phillips. Not to mention themes and quotes I recognized from my own book.” Mel never responded but the public did.

You Made a Difference!

Several bold people, who I will feature in this article, had the courage to speak up on behalf of Cassie Phillips; and just like that, the cover of the book changed. Coincidence? Maybe, but my life experience has shown me otherwise. We, the people, have the power to create change when we have the courage to speak up for what’s right. This is a great start to restorative justice. If we all continue to campaign for the name, Cassie Phillips, to also be added to the cover, Mel can decrease the font size of her name to make room for Cassie too. Please allow me to demonstrate again why Cassie’s viral impactful poem “Let Them” deserves to be recognized as the inspiration for the hyper popular book, The Let Them Theory. If Mel doesn’t want to admit that public pressure played a part in this change, that’s okay with me. Whatever she or her team needs to believe, or spin, to do the right thing, let them.

How Can Anyone Claim a Basic Phrase Like “Let Them,” as Original?

The concept of “Let Them” isn’t new, but the popularity of the mantra is. What Mel Robbins did to Cassie Phillips would be akin to Adidas using the slogan “Just Do It” without ever acknowledging that Nike has been using it for years. To add insult to injury, Mel is attempting to trademark the saying, “Let Them,” thereby preventing others from profiting off the two words she didn’t originate but is making a mint from. Imagine trying to trademark “Just Do It” after Nike had been using it for three years. Instead of thinking of Cassie’s poem when you hear “Let Them,” Mel wants you to think of her book.

The theory behind the phrase, “Let Them” can be found in Buddhism, stoicism, the serenity prayer and “radical acceptance” (a concept my book, FREEDOM, published in 2022, refers to as “radical responsibility”). What makes this philosophy unique today, is the catchy two-word mantra that activates the concept: “Let Them.” It has the ability to convey a powerful message. Similar to the “Just Do It” slogan that encouraged us to “go get it,” — “Let Them” encourages us to “let it go.”

“Let Them,” Amazon states, as part of the title of the book, “The life-changing hack that millions of people can’t stop talking about.” In other words, it’s not the book that is life changing, it’s the profound mantra, “Let Them,” which originated in eastern philosophy but was popularized by Cassie Phillips in her viral poem in 2022 and deserves to be credited as such.

Plagiarism?

Beth Stanfield, a trademark attorney, put together an Instagram reel explaining plagiarism and a side by side of what Cassie wrote and published online in 2022 and what Mel “wrote” and Hay House published nearly three years later (one day before 2025).

Below are Cassie’s words, taken from her poem, “Let Them,” side-by-side with Mel’s words, taken from a reel after she says she “discovered” the concept of “Let Them” and started promoting it as her own. If you were a teacher, and you had two students in your classroom who both wrote a paper with the following words, but one wrote it years before the other, would you not call it plagiarism?

Cassie:

If they want to choose something or someone over you, Let Them.

If they want to go weeks without talking to you, Let Them.

If they are ok with never seeing you, Let Them.

If they’re ok with always putting themselves first, Let Them.

If they are showing you who they are and not who you perceive them to be, Let Them.

Just Let Them.

Mel:

If your friends are not inviting you out to brunch this weekend, Let Them.

If they’re not showing up the way you need them to show up, Let Them.

If the person you’re really attracted to is not interested in a commitment, Let Them.

If your kids do not want to get up and go to that thing with you this week, Let Them.

Just Let Them.

Same Idea at the Same Time Theory

A small group of people who are invested in Mel Robbins as their guru have come to her defense using an argument inspired by Elizabeth Gilbert’s book Big Magic, which essentially states that the same story idea can come to two different people at the same time. The important distinction here is that these two “Let Them” theories were not released at the same time. Cassie’s version went viral in 2022, and Mel’s book came out three years later in 2025 (well, technically one day before that on December 31, 2024). That’s not magic; that’s the definition of plagiarism. Equating these two women as having come up with the exact same thing at the same time, but believing Mel sat on it for a year before sharing, is what a friend of mine called, “Defying the laws of probability.” No magic this time, Elizabeth Gilbert fans. To the Mel Minions, know this, Mel is fine. She will be the first one to tell you how great she’s doing. She doesn’t need you up and arms for her; Cassie needs you. Let’s shift the narrative of “punishing Mel” to “protecting Cassie.” Don’t hold up your hero by stepping on the neck of the person your hero has hurt. If you work with Mel Robbins and/or promote her work, while disregarding Cassie Phillips, you are complicit in the crimes committed against her. I hope your conscience will awaken to the justice of bringing Cassie along.

Origin Story Discrepancy

Andy Mort who has the YouTube channel The Gentle Rebel did a fantastic job of illustrating the timeline discrepancy of Mel’s origin story for discovering “The Let Them Theory.” Mel explained over and over in multiple interviews that it was at her son’s prom that the concept of “Let Them” … “just came to her.” The prom took place on May 20, 2023 and the reel Mel made sharing her “discovery” of “Let Them” took place on May 13, 2023. Leaving some to conclude that the prom story while likely real, was manufactured to be the origin story, so that the follow up question of “where did you discover this?” Could be avoided, as that would force Mel to give credit to Cassie, something she is resisting.

Why Hasn’t Mel Acknowledged Cassie?

It’s not because she doesn’t know who she is. Not only are there screenshots of Cassie reaching out to Mel (see below) but The Guardian confronted Mel about Cassie and Mel redirected the question rather than answer it directly.

In her own words, in another article, Mel said, “My past was full of shitty behavior, I used to be a real competitive, insecure asshole. I hurt people I loved and I made my life a mess. I cheated. I lied. I was petty and self centered. And I regret it.” This quote comes from a 2019 Forbes piece, by Brianna Wiest, cited by Alex (last name omitted), in “False Prophets and Stolen Wisdom: The Dark Side of Self Help.”

We have choices in how we receive this information. We can do as Maya Angelou instructed when she said, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” Or are we can embrace one of my favorite Ancient Greek quotes which is, “Change is the only constant thing in life.” This is an opportunity for us to provide the same grace to Mel Robbins, to give her the benefit of the doubt that she has changed, by inviting her to illustrate her change in character through offering grace to Cassie Phillips by acknowledging her and her work.

In a 2007 interview by Rachel Baker for Boston Magazine, Mel is quoted as saying, “I believe I am a brilliant and gifted guide, that I have been given a tremendous intuition.” Ms. Baker goes on to write, “It’s just that ‘brilliant’ and ‘gifted’ aren’t always among the words they’re using to describe [Mel Robbins]. … I listen to Robbins go on about her ‘blissful’ life, her ‘sick’ wardrobe, how proud she is of her body, how gifted she is at her job. … ‘I’m like the friend who’s already won the marathon of life,’ she says.”

When I read that, it made me feel sad for her. Is it possible that in trying so hard to convince others of her worth, Mel pushes people away? There was one example Mel gave in an interview featured in Andy Mort’s video where she promoted using “Let Them” to garner a feeling of superiority, which I know that is not at the core of any of the beliefs that the philosophy of “Let Them” is built upon. It was particularly prickly for me, as I came to know self-worth through the exact opposite philosophy as I wrote in Sage Words FREEDOM Book One, “Your worth in this world is not because of who you are, but rather that you are. When firefighters run into burning buildings to save lives, they don’t ask to see a comparative list of your failures to your accomplishments before they determine if you are worthy of saving. If you exist, you have worth. When we neither feel inferior nor superior to anyone, we know our worth, and the worth of others.”

The Boston Magazine article continues, ‘“She’s very aggressive, very narcissistic,’ says one former client. ‘A lot of women I know don’t want to be around her; if they know she’s invited to a party or event, they won’t come. I don’t think I’d hire her now. I’d feel like a speck in her universe.’”

While none of us are perfect and we likely all have regrets over past behavior, the above narrative of Mel tracks with the story she tells in her book of her girlfriends going away together and not inviting her. Perhaps this is why Mel was so motivated to write this book, as a way of self-soothing. When we feel excluded, it’s only natural to want to prove our worth to those who rejected us, until we truly do learn the value of “let them” by accepting people as they are and removing ourselves from places where we are unwanted.

We can never know the motive of another, I have wondered if a desire to prove her worth to those who have excluded her is at the heart of some of the things she’s said like “This is the single, biggest, most profound and important thing I’ve ever discovered” “This is my legacy, the thing I was supposed to leave the world.” “I’m one of the top rank podcast hosts in the world. #1 on Audible, #1 on Amazon, #1 on the New York Times, #1 in The Times UK.”

If only I knew these words didn’t first belong to another, I would be a cheerleader for Mel’s accomplishments, as I am for all women, but it’s hard to cheer for someone who is usurping the success that came from the creative writing that belongs to another. The reality remains that no matter how much Mel claims she discovered this and that it’s her words that inspired people to begin getting the words, “Let them” tattooed on their body, the fact is that this movement began with Cassie Phillips; and there’s plenty of online timeline evidence to prove it.

Again, I make my plea for a shared spotlight. I have no desire to take away anyone’s goodness, only to request that it be equally given to all originators of said work.

While the information above isn’t flattering, I still don’t believe in cancel culture. My main goal is to see corrective behavior and acknowledgement of Cassie from Mel.

What Mel Can Say to Rectify the Situation?

The easiest thing Mel can do is simply acknowledge Cassie with a public statement: “It’s come to my attention that there is a poem entitled ‘Let Them’ by a young woman named Cassie Phillips. which went viral before my book, The Let Them Theory came out. It’s only right to acknowledge her and share the spotlight of interest in The Let Them Movement.”

The most generous thing Mel could do is add to the cover of the book, “Inspired by the viral poem ‘Let Them’ by poet Cassie Philips.”

What You Can Do to Help

1. Add the growing number of articles, YouTube videos, and reels to the Let Them Wikipedia page.

2. Buy Cassie’s book when it comes out (it had to be pulled because of an opportunistic counterfeit book and person).

3. Share these articles to remind people that plagiarism is wrong and will not go unnoticed. If it can happen to Cassie, it can happen to you too.

4. Please follow along and read the full story … which is still in progress.

Part one: Mel Robbins and Plagiarism: Meet Cassie Phillips, the original author of Let Them

Part two: Can Mel Robbins Trademark Your Words? Let’s Find Out

Part three: Mel Robbins, Cassie Phillips & The Courage to do the Right Thing

Part four: Beware: This Book is Not by the Real Cassie Phillips

Part five: Public Pressure & Mel Robbins: You Helped Make this Happen

Part six: Usurped: Class Action Suit to Follow

Lastly, here’s a statement from Cassie (including photos)

“Some updates:

• A question that seems to pop up, is if I ever attempted to contact Mel, and if it was an attempt made with kindness. I’d like to provide screenshots with dates of me specifically reaching out to her in Tik Tok since that is where she seemed to respond the most back in May of 2023. Currently, there is a creator on Tik Tok with 800K followers who made a harmful accusation that I led a hate campaign against MR. This accusation was met with me insisting people look online for any facts regarding these allegations. In response to her several misinformed, I was blocked for suggesting people look online for correct documentation. I would really like to ensure that people are just using proper research in this matter. I have led this issue with screenshots typically and even remained quiet for years until multiple trademark applications were filed causing me to have to act.

• I am taking legal advice currently but the best way to support me is to ensure kindness towards those who are not aware of the situation. I want to make sure Let Them and Let Me are being used properly with correct resources as well. A podcast discussing the breakdown of the differences- ‘Nuance Needed’. This podcast includes important discussions for mental health and The Let Them Theory.

Furthermore, the allowing of this type of discredit by celebrities or highly followed content creators to continue can mean something very upsetting for smaller creators, writers, and poets. Our art matters too and holds a special place in society. Our art should not be borrowed or taken without proper credit to the originators. To say someone’s poetry is just words, is to say lyrics are just lyrics in music. But— When you put meaning and impact behind them? They become art from the soul. The issue is that social media and a growing AI presence allow for so much content to be reshaped and shared without credit. However an entire poem and movement being ignored during multiple trademark filings is a bit of a stretch.”

©Sage Justice 2025

Sage Justice is an award-winning poet, author, critically acclaimed performing artist, and humanitarian activist.

Sage Words is a reader-supported publication. Over a dozen platforms (some global publications) have profited by running pieces on this subject matter, based on the research and source material written by Sage Justice, who has not received any financial compensation in return by those publications. If you found value in this article, please upgrade to a paid subscription. You matter, your dollars matter. Thank you.

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Learn more about Cassie Phillips, here. This is a follow-up to the first article on this topic entitled Mel Robbins and Plagiarism: Meet Cassie Phillips, the original author of Let Them

Recap

A well-known motivational speaker, Mel Robbins, has used multiple concepts (let them, let me, let you) and actual lines of a viral poem written by author Cassie Phillips* and claimed them as her own in a wildly popular book, The Let Them Theory. Mel did this while also saying that her daughter, Sawyer Robbins, co-wrote the book with her; but she never gave her daughter credit on the cover as a co-author, perhaps because, as Mel has said in interviews, she sees this moment of glory as “her legacy.” (Update: After two months of public pressure, a new printing of the book with Sawyer’s name was released on March 6, 2025)

Cassie Philips is a contemporary of Mel Robbins: two authors in the same time period, one is just more well-known than the other. Cassie’s Let Them poem, mantra, and concept went viral in 2022. The Let Them Theory book by Mel Robbins was published two years later at the end of 2024. Many people in the self-help community remember the first version of Let Them by Cassie Phillips because they pinned it to their social media pages as a guiding light for whatever challenges they faced personally. Those of us who remember Cassie Phillips were confused to hear Mel Robbins claim this work as her own. Seeing social media posts like this, which claim Mel Robbins plagiarized Cassie’s work only added to the confusion.

Mel describes her knowledge of The Let Them Theory as a “discovery” she made; “discovery” a word she is careful to use in her book, rather than “created” or “originated” when referring to The Let Them Theory. Allegedly, Mel ran with the concept of Let Them once she saw the traction she gained from sharing it on social media herself; and after two years of not being contested for doing so, it appears she began to take credit for it herself.

When Rich People Can Trademark Your Words

The latest was a trademark scandal. Mel Robbins filed to trademark the title of the viral poem by Cassie Phillips “Let Them” (see photo); further stripping independent artists of profiting from the concept of “Let Them,” which was meant to remain free. To my understanding, Cassie’s actual signature is the font used in many of the trademarked items of the original “Let Them” tattoo. Imagine having your signature trademarked by another, which, while ridiculous and not likely, makes one wonder if a trademark of your signature by someone else could legally and conceivably require you to pay a licensing fee to sign your own name!

Trademarking the phrase “Let Them” means that all those Etsy creators who’ve made pillows, jewelry, shirts, mugs, and other items with the words, “Let Them,” sometimes using the actual signature of Cassie Phillips, would have to pay Mel Robbins a licensing fee to keep profiting off of what Cassie created for free to help those in need of this powerful mantra. Having to pay a fee for using a trademarked name could increase the price to the consumer by 35%. If she were to obtain the trademark, Mel Robbins could sue those independent artisans, unless they paid her a licensing fee that they may, or may not, be able to afford. It seems absurd that Mel Robbins could sue creators who were selling Let Them products before Mel Robbins even published her book The Let Them Theory; but this is how the legal system operates, which as a former lawyer, she knows well. If we don’t take a stand, this means that Mel Robbins could sue artists for using words that weren’t hers to begin with! As Cassie Phillips wrote, “A trademark filing means that in order to speak on a topic, that I previously popularized, I [would] now have to pay credit and fees to someone who discussed it long after me just because she wrote a book on it.”

Mel Robbins turned the mantra that Cassie Phillips made viral into a book before Cassie did, without giving Cassie credit, because she could. But just because we can do something doesn’t mean we should. Cassie has been battling Lupus. For those of us in the chronic illness community, we know how hard managing normal life can be, let alone managing to write a book while battling a health disorder. This move was was legal for Mel to do so (although it might be contested in a court of law), but was it morally responsible to do so without giving Cassie’s poem the credit as her inspiration? Being the first to officially publish gives the appearance of ownership that actually belongs to another who had already “published” years prior through public posts. This is an ethical issue with financial repercussions.

Why Doesn’t Cassie Phillips Just Sue Mel Robbins?

I can’t answer this question for Cassie because perhaps a class action lawsuit will be taken if enough lesser-known authors come forward with proof that their words were also used by authors more well-known. People familiar with my work, who then recognize it being used by others, will ask me, “Why don’t you sue?” The answer is that I don’t have the resources to take someone to court; and people who steal the work of others know that, depend on it, and make a career of getting away with that. However, some publishing houses are known to encourage their authors to write their books using A.I.—which, itself, was trained using books written by authors, like myself, who published before ChatGPT and other A.I. resources became easily available. Authors who take that advice and choose to rely on A.I. may not realize that they are, in effect, plagiarizing lesser-known authors who have been sharing their work on the internet for years; for some of us since the early 1990s when the internet first became accessible to most. If those authors band together in a class action suit, the tides may change.

Why should we care?

We should care because if we don’t stand up to injustice when it happens to another, who will stand up to injustice when it happens to us? This is an ethical and moral dilemma that if not rectified, could turn into reprehensible fraud that will be continually repeated by others. It is the crime of well-known people taking original material from lesser-known creators and not only profiting from it, but stealing the profits from those who need them more and rightly deserve them. It’s like taking food from Cassie and her children; it’s taking Cassie’s legacy; it’s robbing her of what’s rightfully hers. I concede that we live in a capitalistic society where it’s legal to build upon what someone else has done without giving them credit; but that doesn’t make it right, especially for someone who claims to be “spiritual.”

Unfortunately, this happens to independent poets and writers all the time; and it robs us of our ability to make a living from our art while someone else profits off of us. It’s cultural appropriation of the rich off of the poor (or middle class, which is the same difference in today’s economy). It’s an injustice and we can call it out without engaging in cancel culture by demanding restorative justice.

Call Out Culture versus Cancel Culture

I do not believe in cancel culture, but rather call out culture that can lead to repair and resolution, true healing. There is an easy solution to this: for Mel to apologize, acknowledge Cassie as the original inspiration, and give her a hand up, so that she can profit too when her book comes out soon (beware there is a book claiming to be hers that is not. I advise only buying a book once Cassie announces it on her website).

My focus is on using spiritual principles, maturity, and human kindness to rectify the character flaws of human imperfection that harm others. My intent is not to vilify Mel Robbins, but to bring light to an injustice and guide her and others who have done what she has done, into corrective behavior that heals all concerned. Cassie has words of depth and authenticity that you don’t find in books crafted by ghostwriters who mined the material using A.I. built on the backs of independent authors like myself. It’s a crime, and we can call it out without engaging in cancel culture by demanding restorative justice. As writers, “united we stand, divided we fall.”

Please enjoy an excerpt from my book, Sage Words FREEDOM Book One on how we can call into right action versus cancel.

“Empathy starts in childhood. When one child harms another, we don’t punish the child, who likely knows not what they do, rather we teach the child empathy by focusing on how their behavior made the other child feel. When we become adults, we stop doing this. A person does something harmful; and as a result, they are cancelled, shunned, and a smear campaign ensues. The expectation is that they should know better; but it’s not what we know that matters, it’s what we practice, and no one practices perfection 100% of the time. That doesn’t mean we don’t suffer natural consequences as a result of wrongdoing; but there’s a difference between ‘natural consequences’ and the obliteration of reputation by the social ostracism of ‘being canceled.’

If we don’t arrive as a community and illustrate a reminder of empathy to the one who committed the offense, we don’t give them a chance to self-correct. This is one of many risks in living in a society so dangerously divided: we stop seeing the nuance of truth that may be present in the other side that can lead someone into delusional thinking or destructive behaviors. If we can’t see why they think the way they do, why do we expect them to see why we think the way we do?

We are all perfectly imperfect works in progress. When we make mistakes, we must address them. ‘Cancel culture’ doesn’t allow for the kind of growth that comes from remorse, and introspection, that can lead to reparation, forgiveness, and sustained change; but ‘call out or call in culture’ does. If we don’t call it out, how will anything change? If we cancel it, we don’t allow it to change.

Cancel culture is also destroying the voice of powerful allies. It has made some celebrities quietly complicit for fear of being cancelled. When people fear speaking truth to power, moral courage dies a slow and painful death that affects us all. We do more good when we call people in to corrective action, than we do when we cancel and shun.”

Updates (story still in progress, check dates)

January 2025: Mel Robbins did not get the trademark for “Let Them” because, as Cassie Phillips shared, “They denied the trademark. It’s all available online for public record now and they even show the reason (evidence) supporting why she could not claim it to take as her own or copyright it. The 18 photos used as documents? My work. My published work. Survivors and their tattoos with my handwriting. Etsy shops with my permission and handwriting. My poetry and mantra plastered all over articles dating back to 2021 and 2022.”

February 2025: from Substack reader Tony D’Orazio, “Mel is still fighting for the trademark. She filed for a six-month extension to respond to the trademark office’s latest action. So this battle will go on until at least May.

From the uspto.gov site:

The Office of the Deputy Commissioner for Trademark Examination Policy has considered a Letter of Protest received in connection with this application. The evidence presented in the submission was forwarded to the trademark examining attorney for consideration. See TMEP §1715.

The trademark examining attorney is incorporating this evidence by reference and taking further action, as specified below. See TMEP §1715.03(a). In addition to the refusal in this Office action, all requirements in the Office action dated August 30, 2024, are herein incorporated by reference. Therefore, a proper response to this Office action must address each issue raised in the preceding Office action as well as in this Office action.

SUMMARY OF ISSUES THAT APPLICANT MUST ADDRESS

FAILURE TO FUNCTION REFUSAL

Registration is refused because the applied-for mark is a slogan or term that does not function as a trademark or service mark to indicate the source of applicant’s goods and/or services and to identify and distinguish them from others.

IDENTIFICATION OF GOODS AND/OR SERVICES

MULTIPLE CLASS REQUIREMENTS

DOMICILE”

*per Cassie Phillips

Mel Robbins may get a trademark for “The Let Them Theory,” but unless and until she offers reparations, her legacy won’t be the book or theory of the words “Let Them;” it will be how she usurped the credit of an unknown poet’s viral words online and didn’t offer the grace of pulling her up beside her when she could.

©Sage Justice January 20, 2025 This concept/theory/poem is original to Sage Justice. If you use it, please give credit and link to original work. Thank you.

Links to All the Pieces Written on this Issue

Please follow along and read the full story … which is still in progress.

Part one: Mel Robbins and Plagiarism: Meet Cassie Phillips, the original author of Let Them

Part two: Can Mel Robbins Trademark Your Words? Let’s Find Out

Part three: Mel Robbins, Cassie Phillips & The Courage to do the Right Thing

Part four: Beware: This Book is Not by the Real Cassie Phillips

Part five: Public Pressure & Mel Robbins: You Helped Make this Happen

Part six: Usurped: Class Action Suit to Follow

Edit: On February 15, an update to the trademark battle was added, per contribution from substack reader: Tony D’Orazio Edit: On March 26, 2025 corrections made to broken links to Cassie’s book were removed and replaced with her website. New links were added to this ongoing story. Minor updates to bio. Added a buy me a coffee button because I’ve spent over 100 unpaid hours working on this story and deserve financial compensation.

Sage Justice is an award-winning poet, author, critically acclaimed performing artist, and humanitarian activist. She lives with the rare genetic disorder, Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Ms. Justice is bold and intensely sincere. Balancing wisdom and humor, kindness and boundaries, she most often writes deeply personal solution based pieces about the enduring virtues that connect us all: love and healing.

If you appreciate this publication, Sage Words, but are unable to afford a subscription, please consider choosing the “Buy Me a Coffee” button when you can. Every little bit helps. Thanks.

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Photo of Cassie Phillips published October 2022.

It was New Year’s Day 2025; and to help set my intentions for the year, I chose a self-help audible to accompany me on a day’s long nature hike: The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins. I thought, how cool for someone famous to take a poem written by an unknown and turn it into a book. I was looking forward to hearing about the woman who originated the entire “Let Them Movement” (not to be confused with originating the philosophy of “let Them” as a concept), Cassie Phillips, in her poem Let Them that went viral in 2022 after she got a tattoo of the words she penned.

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