At 51, Carmen Electra’s name is officially Carmen Electra.
According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Electra, 51, has been granted a legal name change by a judge. This comes two months after the model requested her stage name replace her birth name, Tara Leigh Patrick.
Electra began going by the iconic alias in the early ‘90s when she was auditioning to be a dancer for pop legend Prince, per the outlet. Electra didn’t get the role, but once she heard the name, it stuck.
“(Prince) said, ‘You look like Electra. That should be your name,’ ” Electra told The Yo Show in 2014. “At first I thought it sounded kinda like a superhero type of name, which actually it is, so I was hesitant, but it just sorta grew on me and that’s it.”
She added: “I’m Electra now.”
When Prince — who Electra dated for a brief period in the ‘90s — died in 2016 at the age of 57, the Scary Movie alum recalled the memorable role he played in her life in a statement to PEOPLE.
“I was so shocked and heartbroken to hear about the loss of my mentor, Prince,” Electra said. “The world has lost a truly incredible spirit and musical genius. What a blessing it is to be one of the chosen ones who had the chance to work so closely with him.”
“He gave me my name, he believed in me, and he has inspired an entire generation. I will always love him … ‘ Sometimes it Snows in April,’ ” she concluded, referencing Prince’s hit song aligning with the month he died.
The actress, singer and model got her start playing Lani McKenzie on the hit drama Baywatch. After its 11-season run, Electra continued to act in films such as the Scary Movie franchise and Meet the Spartans.
More recently, Electra started an Only Fans account, telling PEOPLE in September 2023 that she enjoyed the creativity that came with it.
“I’m so happy because I decided to be my own boss when it comes to the content,” she said at the time. “I get to feel the freedom and creativity of doing whatever I want to do, bouncing back and forth with the fans and their requests.”
Electra said Prince also influenced her to build a self-brand, which has helped with her Only Fans journey as well.
“He was a very intense person when it came to working. He was always in the studio,” she shared. “Just seeing that level of dedication, I was just taking in everything he was doing. And he gave us a sense of freedom creatively.”
“It helped me know what I want now. I have my own direction, I come up with my own creative ideas. I have my own path.”
We thought Carmen Electra was her birth name this whole time.
