US pop sensation Ariana Grande has taken legal action against fashion giant Forever 21 for allegedly appropriating her signature style to promote their products without authorization. Grande is seeking $10 million in damages, asserting that Forever 21 and its cosmetics line, Riley Rose, ran an online campaign closely resembling her music videos, including the popular ‘7 Rings’ from late last year.
This lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles district court, alleges that the campaign aimed to mislead consumers into believing that Ariana Grande had endorsed Forever 21’s youth-oriented merchandise. It underscores the significant value of Grande’s social media presence, where a single post can command fees in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, and long-term endorsements reach into the millions.
With 163 million Instagram followers, Ariana Grande holds the distinction of being the most-followed woman on the photo- and video-sharing social media platform. Images from Forever 21’s Instagram account, cited in the lawsuit, depicted a model wearing purple camouflage clothing and pink headbands and boots reminiscent of Grande’s ‘7 Rings’ music video. Notably, these images have been removed from the company’s social media profiles.
In response, Forever 21 has denied the allegations and emphasized its two-year collaboration with Grande’s licensing company. Despite recent reports of financial difficulties and potential bankruptcy, the fashion retailer remains hopeful of reaching a mutually satisfactory resolution, allowing for continued collaboration in the future.
