Ariana Grande is suing Forever 21 for allegedly using her likeness without authorization.
The pop star’s lawsuit claims the conservative Christian retailer “stole” her “name, likeness and other intellectual property to promote their brands for free.”
According to the lawsuit, Grande “explicitly declined” an offer to promote Forever 21 in early 2019 because it did not want to “pay fair market value for a celebrity of Ms. Grande’s stature.”
Grande alleges that Forever 21 and its brand Riley Rose published at least 30 images and videos “misappropriating Ms. Grande’s name, image, likeness and music in order to create the false perception of her endorsement.”
The retailer is also accused of using a “look-alike model” in its marketing. Social media posts cited in the lawsuit were deleted earlier this year after months of requests from Grande’s legal team.
Grande’s lawsuit seeks $10 million U.S. for copyright infringement, common law trademark infringement and other
In a statement to media, Forever 21 said “while we dispute the allegations, we are huge supporters of Ariana Grande and have worked with her licensing company over the past two years. We are hopeful that we will find a mutually agreeable resolution and can continue to work together in the future.”
Forever 21, founded by Korean couple Do Won Chang and Jin Sook Chang, is currently seeking financing as it tries to avoid filing for bankruptcy protection.
According to Forbes, the company has been sued dozens of times for copyright infringement.
Singer Gwen Stefani sued Forever 21 in 2007 for allegedly copying her Harajuku designs.