UPDATE: 8:00 AM EST: Fiji Water has released a statement regarding the lawsuit. They shared:
“This lawsuit is frivolous and entirely without merit. After the Golden Globes social media moment, we negotiated a generous agreement with Ms. Cuthbert that she blatantly violated. We are confident that we will prevail in Court. Throughout our history, we have had a sterling reputation working with talent.”
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The “Fiji Water Girl” is biting the hand that pours!
As we reported, Kelleth Cuthbert went viral after she photobombed celebs on the red carpet at the 2019 Golden Globes, sneaking up behind everyone with her tray of Fiji Water bottles.
Including celebs who don’t like being stalked…
Related: Get These Golden Globes Beauty Looks For Less $$$!
According to The Blast on Thursday, the model — born Kelly Steinbach — is suing the brand and its parent organization, The Wonderful Company, for creating an unauthorized marketing campaign based off her Internet fame.
Via legal documents, Kelleth claims on January 7 (the day after the award show), the conglomerate “intentionally created cardboard cutouts of Steinbach for use in a cardboard cutout marketing campaign.”
Although she said the company tried to negotiate an agreement with her agent on January 8, someone had already seen cardboard cutouts of the actress the next day at a Bristol Farms in West Hollywood.
(The one above is from a Hollywood Pavilions.)
Not only did Fiji allegedly try to offer “gifts to entice” the model to sign away her rights, they “pressured Steinbach into video recording a fake signing of a fake document to simulate Steinbach signing on as a Fiji Water Ambassador.”
Whoa. That’s some insidious business if true!
Her legal team said the document was not an agreement and was later destroyed by the viral sensation.
According to her suit, the brand knew no agreement existed but still used her image and likeness regardless.
The model — who believes she generated more than $12 million worth of brand exposure — wants Fiji to get rid of the cardboard cutouts… and is of course asking for monetary damages.
Do YOU think she deserves compensation for selling more Fiji??
[Image via Kelleth Cuthbert/Instagram.]