Dua Lipa suing Samsung for £11 million
Celebrities are often the face of huge brands but seemingly it's not something they always know about.
Whether it's Michael Jordan and Nike, George Clooney with Nespresso or Michael Cera with CeraVe, you're never more than a few minutes away from seeing an advertisement featuring a famous face.
If there's one thing that celebrities love more than being rich and getting loads of cool stuff, it's probably having the time, energy and resources to sue someone who you think has wronged you.
And that's exactly the case with Dua Lipa right now, as she is asking for £11 million from technology company Samsung after her face was used on their TV packaging, something the singer claims was done without her permission.
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Nearly every family in the world will own a TV and when you're searching in a shop, sometimes a friendly face might just convince you that this model could 'be the one'.
Given the popularity of the British-Albanian singer, it's no surprise that some fans might have genuinely been convinced to buy a certain model under the 'illusion' that Dua Lipa was genuinely endorsing it, and that's an argument made by her team in the ongoing legal case.
The complaint includes social media posts from customers who were allegedly persuaded to buy the product because of her apparent endorsement.
One person wrote on X: "I wasn't even planning on buying a TV but I saw the box so I decided to get it."
Another said: "I'd get that TV just because Dua Lipa is on it. That's how obsessed I am. That's how much I love her.' A third added: "Just put a picture of Dua Lipa on it."
The complaint also states that the performer would never have allowed the use of an image taken in 2024 at the Austin City Limits Festival, which she claims to have the copyright for.
She suggests that she only became aware of her image being used once the products were on sale, while also adding that the Samsung team were 'dismissive and callous' and refused to stop using the photograph.
The lawsuit also makes reference to the 'premium brand' that she has cultivated over the past decade, as she is said to be 'highly selective' when it comes to brand deals and advertising.
Ms Lipa has accused Samsung of copyright infringement, trademark violations and breaching California publicity laws having officially filed the lawsuit in the golden state.
The legal case will also be an unwelcome distraction for the pop star ahead of her planned marriage to actor Callum Turner later this year.
Samsung told LADbible: “Ms. Lipa’s image was used in 2025 to reflect the content of our third-party partners that are available on Samsung TVs and was originally provided by a content partner for our free streaming service Samsung TV Plus.
"The image was used only after receiving explicit assurance from the content partner that permission had been secured, including for the retail boxes. Given this assurance, we deny any allegations of intentional misuse.
"Samsung has great respect for Ms. Lipa and the intellectual property of all artists. We have actively sought and remain open to a constructive resolution with Ms. Lipa’s team.”
James Moorhouse