Photo: Getty Images
Ariana Grande rejected an endorsement deal from Forever 21, so it's understandable that the pop titan isn't pleased that the clothing retailer went ahead and placed a look-alike in a new campaign.
As per TMZ, the pop titan and her team were in talks for a deal with the company in December 2018 up until January, but the mega-retailer didn't want to pay enough to use her name and likeness. Instead, the company reportedly stole it from Grande for a campaign, which was spread across social media and their website, and hired a look-alike model to spread her influence. In new court documents obtained by the celebrity gossip outlet, Forever 21 has reportedly published at least 30 unauthorized images and videos misappropriating the singer's name and likeness, particularly a look from her "7 rings" music video.
Elsewhere in the documents, Grande claimed that the campaign's intent was "to create a false perception" that the singer was backing the brand and is suing for at least $10 million dollars in damages. Riley Rose, the store that was launched by the daughters of Forever 21's founder, was also allegedly involved in the campaign's conceptualization.
Just last week, it was reported that Forever 21 is reportedly eyeing bankruptcy. As per a report from Bloomberg, the filing could leave the brand's more than 800 locations in limbo and that might be a problem for many of the malls across the United States. While the store has been in talks "for additional financing and working with a team of advisers to help it restructure its debt," the conversations have stalled and the focus has seemingly shifted towards securing a potential debtor-in-possession loan. Forever 21 is reportedly the sixth-largest tenant excluding department stories.
Photo: Instagram/Forever21