Just when you thought Hollywood and Millenials couldn’t become any more annoying, they combine for this latest collab: Kelleth Cuthbert, the model who became known as the ‘Fiji Water Girl’ after she went insanely viral at the 2019 Golden Globes, is suing — yup, you guessed it! — Fiji Water!
According to a report from The Blast, Cuthbert — whose real name is apparently Kelly Steinbach — is suing the company whose marketing campaign help put her on the map for making and using cardboard cutouts of her without her permission.
Specifically, Steinback’s lawsuit against Fiji claims that the artisan water company “intentionally created cardboard cutouts of Steinbach for use in a cardboard cutout marketing campaign.”
Additionally, Steinback’s lawsuit claimed that Fiji Water “pressured Steinbach into video recording a fake signing of a fake document to simulate Steinbach signing on as a Fiji Water Ambassador” and that the document Steinback did sign was “not an agreement and was later destroyed by the model.”
The suit’s main point of contention is that despite being aware that no agreement existed, Fiji Water still began using Steinbach’s image and likeness for profit.
Steinback — who believes Fiji Water made over $12 million worth of brand exposure with her cardboard cutout — is asking the company to stop using the cutouts and for financial restitution.
Fiji Water has yet to publicly respond to Steinback’s lawsuit and it is unclear whether negotiations towards a settlement between the two parties have begun.
That is all the information about this story that is available at this time. This article will be updated with new and relevant facts and information should they become available.
Make sure to follow ‘Fiji Water Gir’ Kelleth Cuthbert on Instagram where she is CONSTANTLY posting heat — Fiji Water-related or otherwise.
