Hipster anti-sweatshop clothing firm American Apparel is being sued by Woody Allen for billboards advertising their company that feature a photo of Allen dressed as a rabbi in a scene from the 1977 comedy Annie Hall. There was also Hebrew writing on the billboard, and commentor TedSez on Gawker notes that it “means something like ‘The Holy Rabbi,'” and could indicate that American Apparel owner Dov Charney is “praising Allen as the king of the Jews.”

The Jewish Daily Forward confirms that the writing means “der heyliker rebe” or “the holy rebbe,” and contacted American Apparel for comment when the billboards first came out. American Apparel spokesperson Alex Spunt said it meant that “Woody Allen is our spiritual leader.”

You can’t heap praise on Woody Allen and expect him to give you a free pass to use his image for advertising, and he’s predictably taking the firm to court over it:

Woody Allen on Monday sued American Apparel Inc, claiming the U.S. clothing company used his image in advertising on billboards and the Internet without his consent.

The billboard ads, which depict Allen dressed as a rabbi, appeared in New York and California, according to the suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan.

Allen, an Oscar-winning U.S. director known for his work in films such as “Annie Hall” and “Crimes and Misdemeanors,” said in the suit he was neither contacted by the company, nor compensated for the use of his image.

“Allen does not engage in the commercial endorsement of products or services in the United States,” according to the lawsuit.

He is seeking damages in excess of $10 million, according to the suit.

[From Reuters]

38 year-old American Apparel founder and CEO Don Charney is a controversial figure and has been taken to court unsuccessfully four times for sexual harassment. He masturbated in front of a reporter for Jane Magazine multiple times, and former employees say that he created a hostile work environment in which he slept with employees and propositioned others. Charney admits having relationships with female employees and defends it by saying it was all consensual. He takes many of the sexy photos for the ads himself and The NY Times reports that he hires women he meets at parties.

Charney sold the company in December, 2006 for $360 million and remains on as CEO. As for how he built such a clothing empire in under ten years, Charney claims that “Everything we do is based on intuition.” And not common sense apparently. Why did they veer so far away from the sexy ads that are their trademark? If they wanted to use an image of a Jewish celebrity, they could have picked Natalie Portman instead. She seems to be a more natural progression.

Thanks to The Jewish Daily Forward for the header image taken in New York’s Lower East Side at Houston and Allen and to Curbed LA for the middle image, taken on Alvarado and Sunset.

American Apparel owner Dov Charney is shown below. Ad below via CherryFlava