Tara Reid Suing Sharknado Producers for $100 Million for Wrongfully Licensing Her Image Without Her Consent
Tara Reid is taking the Sharknado producers to court.
The star of the Syfy movie franchise is accusing the producers of the films of misappropriating her likeness and image “for a commercial purpose without her consent,” including slot machines and alcoholic beverages, according to court documents filed Dec. 6 and obtained by The Blast. She is now suing Asylum Entertainment and SYFY Media Productions for $100 million in damages.
A rep for Reid did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
The documents state that “[Reid] alleges that defendants and each of them without her knowledge and prior written consent misappropriated her likeness for the commercial purpose of endorsing by implication gambling products and alcoholic beverages.”
The suit claims that the defendants “wrongfully licensed the rights to use Tara Reid’s likeness (which they do not own) to manufacturers of slot machines, gambling products, and beer makers, who in turn have marketed their products with her likeness, and continue to wrongfully trade and profit therefrom.”
As a result, Reid, who stars as April Wexler in the films, alleges that the defendants made “millions of dollars in profits … from the marketing, sale, lease, and distribution of Sharknado slot machines bearing the likeness of Plaintiff Tara Reid,” the documents state.
Reid, 43, claims that in her November 2016 “Performer Engagement Agreement” for Sharknado 5, a clause states that “in no event shall Performer’s likeness be used for any merchandising in association with alcohol, tobacco, gambling, hygiene, or sexual products without Performer’s prior written approval.” The suit alleges that the plaintiffs “never approved the use of Tara Reid’s likeness on the Sharknado slot machines, nor was such approval ever requested by any of the defendants.”
As to why she’s suing for $100 million, the documents explain: “As such, the actions of the Defendants were malicious and oppressive and justify an award of punitive and exemplary damages in an amount sufficiently large to set a public example of deterrence, and in an amount no less than $100,000,000.00.”
She is suing for false endorsement and misappropriation of celebrity likeness, as well as common law wrongful appropriation of likeness and breach of written contract. She is also requesting “preliminary and permanent injunctive relief” and demanding a jury trial.
Syfy had no comment. PEOPLE is out to Asylum Entertainment for comment.
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