The drama with Fiji Water Girl from the Golden Globes just ramped up in the least expected of ways: The Blast is reporting that model Kelleth Cuthbert, the brunette model who photobombed all those celebrities at the Golden Globes with her Fiji Water tray, is suing Fiji Water Company and The Wonderful Company for creating an authorized marketing campaign off her after her viral Golden Globes stunt.
The Blast claims in the documents Cuthbert filed that the model has taken issue with Fiji Water “intentionally creat[ing] cardboard cutouts of [her] for use in a cardboard cutout marketing campaign.” That campaign started just one day after the ceremony.
Cuthbert additionally claims in the document that Fiji Water tried to bribe her with “gifts” to get her to sign away her rights and “pressured [her] into video recording a fake signing of a fake document to simulate [her] signing on as a Fiji Water Ambassador.” Cuthbert destroyed that document and says no agreement exists for Fiji to use her image and likeness for profit. She is seeking damages and for the company to stop using cardboard cutouts of her immediately.
In a statement sent to ELLE.com, Fiji Water called the lawsuit frivolous. “This lawsuit is frivolous and entirely without merit,” Fiji Water said. “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.”
Cuthbert isn’t the only person who has called Fiji Water out for not getting permission before doing something for an advertising campaign. Jamie Lee Curtis made headlines for calling Fiji Water out on Instagram for using her in its Golden Globes red carpet stunt without her permission.
“So, my husband, who doesn’t look at a lot of show business news sites, just mentioned that I was on the CNN website,” Curtis wrote in her Instagram post. “I specifically moved away from the blatant promotions by Fiji and Moet where young women with their trays filled with their wares stood near a designated camera. I knew why there was a photographer poised there and I moved away as I said out loud that I didn’t want to be doing advertising for either. Clearly this angle shows that I moved from her being behind me and yet from the side it still happens. The sponsors of events need to get permission from people when they get them to take their picture next to products.”
