Kardashian Sisters Face a $5 Million Lawsuit over Support for a Potentially Dangerous Diet Supplement
There’s no question that manufacturers of a dangerous or defective drug can face a lawsuit. But what about celebrities who endorse a product?
The question is raised by a new $5 million lawsuit filed against the Kardashian sisters over their endorsement of the diet pill QuickTrim, a quick fix that may not do exactly what the sisters, who are famous for being famous, say it can do in the ads.
The sisters are well known for the reality TV show Keeping up with the Kardashians. It now appears the law is catching up with the Kardashians over their endorsement of QuickTrim.
The lawsuit filed by four angry consumers pulls no punches. “Kim, Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian ‘lied’ about getting their amazing figures from over-the-counter diet pills, according to a $5 million lawsuit,” the Daily Mail reported this week.
The enraged plaintiffs are claiming the main ingredient in these pills is caffeine. It may be fine in coffee, but it’s not an effective or a safe diet treatment, they clain in the suit. It’s not yet known if the litigants are claiming harm was caused by the product. Nor are these pills endorsed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The lawsuit points to numerous none too subtle ads in which the Kardashians have posed with the product while wearing bikinis showing off their figures.
The litigants claims the sisters often tweet about the benefits of the product, a powerful strategy given that Kim Kardashian alone has more than 13 million followers on Twitter.
The lawsuit raises the intriguing question of whether a celebrity who has endorsed a product can be held liable for harm caused by it if it proves to be dangerous or defective, in the same way as the manufacturer.
The Kardashians are not the only celebrities to be involved in lawsuits,
In a list of ridiculous celebrity lawsuits in Time magazine a lawsuit launched by Lindsay Lohan was detailed in which the actress took out a lawsuit against the financial company E-Trade because a TV ad “used her name and characterization” without her permission. in the ad a baby named Lindsay is referred to as a “milkaholic.”
In the lawsuit, filed against Jimmy Fallon, Paul Tarascio — claimed he was dropped from his position as first stage manager at the show “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” … and by a woman who was incompentent, TNZ reported.
In 2010 the singer Lady GaGa successfully obtained an injunction against Moshi Monsters singer Lady Goo Goo. She took legal action against Mind Candy – the parent company of a children’s social networking site called Moshi Monsters, banning the animated character Lady Goo Goo from performing on YouTube.