Former Real Housewife Bethenny Frankel has filed a lawsuit. And for once it’s not over her food and alcohol brand designed to prey on women’s insecurities. Bethenny is suing TikTok and it’s a class action suit. She says the platform is using her image to sell counterfeit products and she wants “to be a voice for change in the space,” as they’ve done the same to other creators.
Bethenny Frankel is suing TikTok over ads she claims used her images and videos to sell counterfeit products on the app.
She claims a September TikTok video she posted “was allegedly stolen and re-posted for marketing purposes by a company selling counterfeit products.”
“I want to be a voice for change in the space,” Frankel said, claiming other creators are facing the same issue.
Bethenny Frankel has filed a class-action lawsuit against TikTok over ads she claims used her images and videos to sell counterfeit products on the app.
In a statement from her lawyers at law firm Morgan & Morgan, the “Real Housewives of New York City” star says that a September TikTok video she posted “was allegedly stolen and re-posted for marketing purposes by a company selling counterfeit products.”
Frankel seeks compensation for the “significant damages to her business and reputation, as well as broad changes to impose stricter regulations regarding TikTok’s advertising,” her lawyers said.
“It came to my attention that TikTok was disseminating videos using my proprietary content without my consent to sell merchandise with which I have no affiliation,” Frankel said in a statement. “I’ve discovered that this is a widespread issue affecting creators of all sizes across the space. It’s unacceptable, and I want to be a voice for change and use my platform to create a shift in the industry.
“I want to be a voice for change in the space,” Frankel continued. Her lawyers called for other creators who believe their content was used in scams to contact them to potentially join the suit.
TikTok did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
You could tell me anything about Bethenny or any Real Housewife’s personal life and tenuous legal situation, and it would be pretty unsurprising. This scenario wouldn’t have made the list, honestly! Rather, it’s not surprising that she’s suing over something related to her brand, but that it’s TikTok and it’s a class action suit is the shocking part. Class actions are intended to benefit others as well and I wouldn’t have guessed that from Bethenny. Although the “voice for change” language is a bit melodramatic. C’mon, it’s TikTok. Overall, she’s right to sue. If she’s not a part of the product, they shouldn’t be allowed to use her image to sell merchandise with which she has no affiliation. And it’s bad for her brand to be affiliated with counterfeit products. If companies are using her image, she should get a piece of that pie or stop them entirely. On this one, narrow, issue I think Bethenny is right. It also looks like TikTok needs to address this issue and with this class action lawsuit, they may be forced to.
Photos credit: Cover Images, Getty and via Instagram
Oh geez.
Yawn.
Using others images and content without permission is a big issue on social media platforms. I just hate that Bethawful is the one bringing this suit. But this is done to small content creators all the time so I guess it takes a bigger name like Frankel to take action.
Next!
Sure, whatever. Your voice was also hear all the way from Mykonos this summer where you trashed the place verbally and called it disgusting, among other things. Listen, Mykonos has been overrun with influencers and rich folks who wouldn’t know how to find the most beautiful places in Greece if 10 Greeks yelled at them where to go. The LGBTQ+ community, who made the place happen, sure as f*ck didn’t ask for you and yours to invade this tiny island. I don’t mean to derail the conversation and good for her for suing TikTok I guess but she’s a bag of bad manners.
“c’mon its tiktok” yeah only one of the most visited site and app in the world by traffic(esp when you combine website and app visits ( its been number one some months), with huge huge reach especially with younger people. Tiktok is super problematic in many otherways also so anything to make them change any of their problematic things is good.
Like a housewife that won’t stop talking.
It’s cute that Beth-Karen thinks counterfeit TikTok ads are what is destroying her reputation rather than her own, attention-seeking, clout chasing mouth.
agreed – does she have a positive reputation in any way? her reputation is in the tank from her own abhorrent behavior and attitudes but i guess she needs the attention since no one knows who she is anymore.
It also makes absolute sense that this is a class actions since litigation is incredibly expensive and even Bethanny can’t take Tik Tok and their lawyers on with her own money. This is actually a really good thing.
Incredible that it takes lawsuits by private people to regulate what is the job of the legislators.
That language is right out of the attorney’s mouth. His firm is known for that schtick- meanwhile he has an estate in Hawaii from which he tends to TikTok himself – you should look up John Morgan and Arby’s if you want to have a couple chuckles as an example of WTF
That firm is known around his home town as one that will only take cases that will settle at a certain price point- 100% guarantee you this is such a case
I am a lawyer in Morgan and Morgan’s hometown of Orlando. And yes they are 100% known for taking the cases that no one else will.
Her face triggers me. Anything to get her name out there, I guess.
Same. When I see her face I automatically HEAR her voice and that high pitched, try hard to be witty whining that flies out of her pie hole. Her attention seeking is sickening and I still all the smoke for how she disrespects Meghan and uses her for clout. She’s gross.
Ugh, as if anyone should be interested in her Skeletor image. Her reputation has been garbage for many years.
Another desperate play for attention. She even had to scour the Internet for an article that called her a “prominent influencer” lmao. This woman is sad
She almost had some credibility until it said she was being represented by an ambulance chaser law firm that advertises heavily across the South.
She also goes after smaller TikTok creators with cease and desists if anyone says ANYTHING negative about her, Skinny Girl, etc. Yet, she’s making videos about beauty brands and which products suck or worth the money. She can say her opinion but she silences others, she’s a joke.
That’s what I came here to say! Suing a larger company with self-righteousness while also threatening a more minor creator without the means to defend against her is pretty dissonant.
Wouldn’t that be an issue with the company selling the products? Or is her case saying that TikTok allowed this company to run ads using her image? I’m curious what the ads are – were they actually paid ads or is it a company using/stitching her videos on their page to promote their own knock-off products? I totally understand being upset that someone is stealing your content for their own financial gain, but the content in question was originally uploaded to the app by her and there’s a report button for copyright infringement and/or scams.
My question exactly! If she’s using the platform and making content, then I am guessing that the terms and conditions give TikTok the right to use her content. I remember this being a huge discussion with Facebook. If it’s an individual account stealing her content, then she should report it.
There are a lot of ways in which social media companies are bad actors and need to be regulated. But at first glance, this feels like a reality actor trying to adjust her brand.
Why is this person relevant?
This person is the reason that my daughter is not named Bethany, lol. Loved the name, hate the association.
She really, really doubled down on her a$$ vs. her face, and that’s all I’ve got.
Aging like an old banana.
😂🤣