Hilary Duff Awarded $1.25 Million Over Feminine Hygiene Company Dispute
By Afouda Bamidele on February 27, 2024 at 9:15 AM EST
Hilary Duff's battle against Naturalena — a female hygiene company — has reached a favorable conclusion after three years.
The battle between the duo began in 2021 when the "Lizzie McGuire" star slammed the wellness brand for failing to pay her endorsement fees. Now, the founder of Naturalena has requested the enforcement of a judgment that awards Duff a whooping sum of $1.25 million in damages.
Hilary Duff Scores Major Victory In Her Lawsuit Against The Naturalena Brand
In the legal documents obtained by The Blast, the founder and CEO of Naturalena, Adrian M. Forsyth, signed a confession of judgment in favor of Duff. This request is a written agreement that willingly accepts the liability and amount of damages agreed upon.
A confession of judgment is typically used to circumvent regular court proceedings and avoid a lengthy legal process in resolving a dispute. In this case, Forsyth consented to award Duff the amount of $1,250,000 in damages and authorized the entry of this judgment against his brand.
Additionally, he agreed to cover post-judgment interest, Duff's attorney's fees, and costs incurred concerning the enforcement of the judgment. Forsyth noted the confession of judgment rose from facts he believed were true following his review of documents and information about the case.
The Naturalena CEO declared that if he were called as a witness in court and placed under oath, he would competently testify that "on or about October 1, 2019, Naturalena and the Duff parties entered into a Celebrity Endorsement Agreement."
Through this agreement, Duff, via her loan-out company SugarMouse, granted Naturalena exclusive rights to use her image and likeness to promote specific products, like their baby items. This statement matched the entertainer's recollection of events when she initially filed the lawsuit.
Hilary Duff Slammed Naturalena For Using COVID To Avoid Paying Her Endorsement Fees
In her 2021 lawsuit, Duff accused Naturalena of continuing to use her image and likeness to promote their products after failing to pay her endorsement fees. She explained that she is owed money for advertising their Happy Little Campers baby diapers, flushable wipes, natural cotton wipes, and their Veeda feminine hygiene products.
She first opened up about the endorsement deal in 2019, raving about how hard it was to find a brand that offered natural and sustainable products without sacrificing its efficiency. In her words:
"As parents, we want what's best for our kids, and as a woman, it's important to think about my own health when it comes to what I put in my body. Happy Little Camper and Veeda are changing the way we think about the products we use."
"I'm so excited to take on this role and help further our mission to provide clean, plant-based products that are safe and accessible for babies and moms," Duff said about her endorsement gig. However, her joy faded when Naturalena failed to keep their end of the bargain.
In her lawsuit, she alleged the brand avoided paying her by using an "unforeseeable circumstances" clause in the contract. They claimed the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted the company. But Duff refuted their claims, noting "various press reports indicate that Naturalena experienced an increase in demand for its products during the COVID-19 pandemic."
"It's nothing more than a bad-faith attempt to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic to evade their clear contractual obligations," the lawsuit stressed. In retaliation, Duff requested an injunction prohibiting the company from further use of her publicity rights and asked to be compensated for damages.
At the time, she did not specify how much Naturalena owed her. However, the recent $1.25 million judgment should be a fair price for her three-year legal battle.
