According to a complaint filed on Thursday, Sean John, who has launched a new women’s clothing line with the brand Missguided, used the mogul’s image, likeness, and persona without his permission.
Combs founded the company in 1998. He sold stakes to GCG USA in November 2016 for an estimated $70 million and still owned 20 percent, according to Forbes.
In the lawsuit, Combs claims that the companies fabricated quotes in an article that made it seem as though he endorses the Sean John x Missguided clothing line. His image was also included in a 40 second video campaign in promotion of the new collaboration.
Jonathan D. Davis, Comb’s lawyer, says he disapproves of using his image to promote a brand he no longer wishes to be associated with.
“He does not challenge GBG’s right to use the Sean John trademark, but rather GBG’s decision to leverage a fabricated quote they created and then falsely attributed to Mr. Combs,” Davis said. “And to use Mr. Combs’s name and other monikers to create the false and misleading impression that Mr. Combs is the decision-maker behind the designs and creation of the GBG Collection.”
He continued, “Sean John, GBG and Missguided are using the unapproved material, which contains false or misleading representations of fact, to promote and sell the items in the GBG Collection because they understand that associating it with Mr. Combs will significantly increase sales and profits.”
