Hailey Bieber faces legal trouble over her skincare line; sued for trademark infringement

Hailey Bieber has landed herself in legal trouble due to her skincare line 'Rhode' as a 9-year-old fashion company going by the same name sued her for trademark infringement. The 'Rhode' clothing brand co-founders Purna Khatau and Phoebe Vickers filed the suit against the 25-year-old model in a US District Court, according to documents obtained by PEOPLE. 

In the legal papers, Khatau stated that she and Phoebe launched their company in 2013 and have dedicated themselves to growing and nurturing the brand "through much personal sacrifice and hardship." As per the complainants, it is now considered a luxury brand and is worn by the likes of  Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Mindy Kaling. As per the lawsuit, their clothing line 'is expected to make $14.5 million' this year. 

Hailey Bieber lands in legal trouble over her skincare line 'Rhode'

Purna Khatau and Vickers hold the 'Rhode' trademark for various clothing items and accessories and are even planning to expand into areas like household items, makeup, and skincare, according to their claims. With her brand launch earlier this month, Hailey has caused "confusion in the marketplace", which has further damaged the duo's brand, says Khatau.

They claimed that while Instagram promised the '@rhode' handle to the designers initially, the social media giant decide to allow Hailey to use it "even though it had no posts until June 8, 2022." Court documents stated how Justin Bieber also promoted his wife's brand on his personal handle, which has about  243 million followers. 

Khatau added, "We have real concerns about the future," and continued, "We put blood, sweat, and tears into this brand for years ... It is disappointing to me that an entrepreneurial woman, whom we've long been fans of, is trying to stifle what we have built."

The founders have also asked for her to change her skincare line's name to avoid any confusion. They claimed that Hailey even approached them to buy the name rights years ago, however, they declined. "We welcome competition – we just don't want competitors using our name," they iterated. Their lawyer Lisa T. Simpson has also given her statement and called the situation 'unfortunate'. 

(IMAGE: INSTAGRAM/ @HAILEYBIEBER)