Petite singer Ariana Grande is suing Forever 21 for allegedly using her likeness in an advertising campaign.
The ‘God is a Woman’ hitmaker has reportedly filed legal documents to take action against the popular American fashion retailer, after claiming they launched a new advertising campaign which used imagery that was strikingly similar to those used throughout the singer’s ‘Thank U, Next’ album.
According to Bang Showbiz, documents obtained show that 26-year-old Ariana had been in talks with Forever 21 in December 2018 for an endorsement deal, but the plans fell through after the franchise wouldn’t meet the fee to use her name and likeness.
But instead, the retailer has now been accused of stealing her likeness for a campaign which ran across their website and social media, with Ariana’s documents alleging they also hired a look-alike model for the shots.
The documents accuse Forever 21 of posting at least 30 unauthorised images and videos misappropriating Ariana’s name and likeness. Ariana claims the company stole imagery from her album to create the false perception that she was backing the Forever 21 brand and has accused the company of stealing scenes and shots from her recent singles and music videos, specifically ‘7 Rings’.
The ‘No Tears Left To Cry’ singer is suing for at least $10 million in damages. Ariana isn’t the only star to have taken on a fashion retailer recently, as Kim Kardashian West was awarded $2.7 million in July after taking action against Missguided USA.
Kim sued the fashion brand for damages of at least $10 million, disgorgement which means giving up something obtained by illegal or unethical acts on demand or by legal compulsion – of the company’s profits, and a permanent injunction to stop the online retailer from future infringements in February after accusing them of using her name and image without permission.
