Model Sues Jeweler for Racy Ad
By JCK Online Staff -- JCK Online, 1/4/2008 10:57:00 AM
A model who appeared in an online video for a jewelry company has filed a $5 million lawsuit saying that the commercial has tarnished a wholesome image she's worked hard to maintain, The Associated Press reports.
The commercial, seen on the Internet in a clip entitled "Rock Her World," shows a woman wearing blue lingerie and a diamond necklace while moaning and stroking her face and neck along with high-energy music led with a strong drum beat and electric guitar. It ends with the Web address for the jewelry company, Szul.com.
The 37-year-old woman, identified in the lawsuit as Jane Doe, claims that she did not "consent to or authorize the use of her likeness, picture, image or name to simulate a female having an orgasm or otherwise experiencing sexual pleasure," the AP reports.
"Indeed, the music to the commercial is bump-and-grind burlesque type music, which further provides the advertisement with a decidedly pornographic look, feel and sound," states the lawsuit, which was filed Monday in Manhattan's state Supreme Court.
The plaintiff said the idea was that an average guy would get a woman excited by putting a necklace on her.
Three-fourths of the filming of the commercial, shot Nov. 9 by Q2 Entertainment in a studio in Queens, involved a comedic story line, but the woman later was told to sit and feign excitement for a few seconds while the young man put the necklace on her, the lawsuit reportedly says.
After that scene, the court papers say, the director told her to fake excitement while lying down, without smiling, the AP reports.
The plaintiff, who is a married graduate student in elementary education, "has worked hard to project a wholesome image and has been extremely careful to avoid doing any work in the industry that would cheapen or tarnish her reputation," the lawsuit reportedly states.
The lawsuit names Szul Jewelry, Q2 Entertainment, and Q2 principal Mitchell Goldman as defendants, the AP reports.
The woman is seeking $2.5 million in compensatory damages and $2.5 million in punitive damages.
