Singer Dua Lipa is back in the headlines, but this time it is not about her romantic life, vacations, or new music. The 30-year-old has filed a $15 million lawsuit against Samsung, alleging that the electronics giant used her likeness to sell televisions without her consent or compensation. According to the complaint filed on Friday, Samsung has been using the 'Levitating' singer's image on the cardboard packaging of its TVs since early 2025. Upon discovering this, Lipa demanded that the company cease using her image. The lawsuit claims that Samsung was 'dismissive and callous' and rejected her request. While Lipa's legal action has made waves, she is not the first celebrity to take a global brand to court. Here are five other famous figures who sued major corporations and won.
Rihanna vs. Topshop
In 2012, the fashion retailer Topshop began selling a sleeveless T-shirt priced at £22, featuring a recognizable image of Rihanna. The photograph was taken by an independent photographer during a video shoot for her 'Talk That Talk' album. The photographer, who owned the copyright, licensed the image to Topshop. In 2013, Rihanna and two of her licensing companies filed a lawsuit seeking £3.3 million, arguing that the use of her image on clothing was unauthorized and that consumers would mistakenly believe she had endorsed the product. In a two-minute judgment, Mr. Justice Birss ruled that Topshop's sale of the T-shirt constituted 'passing off,' a form of intellectual property infringement.
Michael Jordan vs. Dominick's Finer Foods
In 2009, the grocery chain Dominick's Finer Foods ran a Sports Illustrated advertisement featuring Michael Jordan without authorization. The ad displayed Jordan's name and jersey number on a red Chicago Bulls jersey, along with a $2.00 off coupon. Jordan filed a complaint alleging that Dominick's had misappropriated his name and persona in violation of the Illinois Right of Publicity Act. He further claimed that associating him with a discounted steak diminished his endorsement value. The court awarded Jordan $8.9 million in damages, close to the $10 million he had originally sought.
Scarlett Johansson vs. Walt Disney
In July 2021, Marvel actress Scarlett Johansson filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging that Disney had sacrificed the box office potential of 'Black Widow' to boost its Disney+ streaming service. Johansson claimed that her contract guaranteed an exclusive theatrical release, but the film was simultaneously released on Disney+, breaching the agreement and costing her compensation tied to box office revenue. The case was eventually settled out of court, with sources reporting to Deadline that Johansson received compensation exceeding $40 million.
Bette Midler vs. Ford Motor Company
In 1985, Ford Motor Company and its advertising agency launched 'The Yuppie Campaign,' a series of 19 television commercials featuring popular songs from the 1970s. The agency attempted to hire the original artists but failed, so they used 'sound-alikes' to perform the songs. One commercial featured a sound-alike singing Bette Midler's 'Do You Want To Dance.' Midler sued Ford for misappropriating her voice and identity. The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled in her favor, finding that Ford had misappropriated her identity. In 1989, she was awarded $400,000 in damages.
Vanna White vs. Samsung
Interestingly, this is not the first time Samsung has faced legal action for using a celebrity's image. In 1993, Vanna White, the host of 'Wheel of Fortune,' sued Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and Samsung Electronics America Inc. The lawsuit claimed that an advertising campaign from 1989 and 1990 featured look-alikes of White, misleading the public into believing she endorsed Samsung products. A Los Angeles jury awarded White $403,000 in damages after determining that 17 of Samsung's advertisements created 'blurred commercials' that combined the Wheel of Fortune aesthetic with Samsung products.
