The lawsuit came after talks for a joint marketing campaign between the popular singer and the fashion retailer fell apart because Forever 21 would not pay enough for “a celebrity of Ms Grande’s stature”, whose longer-term endorsements generate millions of dollars in fees.
Grande, who has over 65 million Twitter followers and 163 million Instagram followers, has a fan base that represents the target markets of Forever 21 and Riley Rose.
When asked to comment on the lawsuit, Forever 21 issued a statement, saying that per company policy, the company cannot comment on ongoing litigation.
“That 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,” said the statement.
Riley Rose, the beauty company launched by Forever 21’s founders’ daughters, did not immediately respond on Tuesday (Sep. 3) to emailed requests for comments on the suit.
Grande’s complaint stated that Forever 21 and Riley Rose misappropriated at least 30 images and videos, including using audio and lyrics from her recent No. 1 single “7 Rings”, and also by featuring the look-alike model in their ad campaign.
“The resemblance is uncanny,” noted the complaint of the Forever 21 model and the pop singer.
Grande’s lawsuit in Los Angeles federal court seeks US$10 million (S$13.9 million) in damages for false endorsement, copyright and trademark infringement, and violating her right of publicity.
The lawsuit came just a week after reports surfaced that Forever 21 may be filing for bankruptcy. /TISG