The singing superstar Ariana Grande has sued Forever 21 for $10 million,
accusing the fashion retailer and beauty company started by its billionaire
founders’ daughters of piggybacking off her fame and influence to sell their
wares.
In a complaint filed on Monday, Grande said Forever 21 and Riley Rose misappropriated
her name, image, likeness and music, including by employing a “strikingly
similar” looking model, in a website and social media campaign early this year.
She said this followed the breakdown of talks for a joint marketing
campaign 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 has more than 65 million Twitter followers and 163 million Instagram
followers. A core part of the 26-year-old’s fanbase overlaps Forever 21’s and
Riley Rose’s target markets.
Founded in 1984, Forever 21 said it recently had 815 stores in 57
countries.
Its founders, Do Won and Jin Sook Chang, are worth $1.5 billion according
to Forbes magazine. Their daughters, Linda and Esther Chang, opened the first
Riley Rose boutique in 2017.
According to Grande’s complaint, Forever 21 and Riley Rose misappropriated
at least 30 images and videos, including by using audio and lyrics from her
recent No. 1 single “7 Rings,” and by using the look-alike model.
Grande’s lawsuit in Los Angeles federal court seeks damages for copyright
and trademark infringement, false endorsement, and violating her right of
publicity.
