Kim Kardashian Sues Old Navy Over Look-alike Model
Somebody's been keeping up with the Kardashians a bit too closely.
Kim Kardashian is headed to "kourt" after filing a federal lawsuit against Old Navy for using a model who bears a striking resemblance to her, E! News reports.
In papers filed in U.S. District Court on July 20, the recently engaged reality star charges that the retailer's music video-inspired "Super C-U-T-E" denim campaign—which stars dark-haired doppelgänger Melissa Molinaro, a singer hailing from Canada—is tricking the public into thinking that she endorses their products.
Alleging the "unauthorized use of Kardashian's name, likeness, identity, and persona," the fragrance guru is asking the court for punitive and compensatory damages (which sources say could total up to $20 million) as well as an injunction against the company.
"I've worked hard to support the products I'm personally involved with that I believe in," Kardashian says in a statement.
"Celebrities have the exclusive right to control the use of their likeness and identity, and to choose the products they endorse," adds her attorney, Gary Hacker. "Kim Kardashian is immediately recognizable, and is known for her look and style. Her identity and persona are valuable. When her intellectual property rights are violated, she intends to enforce them."
Old Navy may have been pushing its luck by tweeting about Molinaro's resemblance to Kardashian, while it couldn't have helped matters that Molinaro is rumored to have been getting into character by hooking up with the star's ex, Reggie Bush. Now that's what we call method acting.
The campaign may also have caused a conflict with the Sears fashion deal the bride-to-be and her sisters recently inked.
"It could ruin her relationship with Sears if she's affiliated with Old Navy," a source tells E!. "To protect her image, she had to file a lawsuit. She doesn't even mention Melissa in the lawsuit. He name is not even in it. The commercial came out in February and Old Navy was tweeting that she looked 'just like Kim K!'"
So what does the retailer have to say? Not much.
"We have not seen any legal filing/received any such lawsuit, so we cannot comment," a spokesperson tells E!.
Stay tuned!
