Kim Kardashian Sued For Passing Off ‘Cheap’ Donald Judd Knockoffs As Authentic
Photo 284040839 © Starstock | Dreamstime.com
Kim Kardashian is in the hot seat after claiming counterfeit furniture pieces as genuine works by the late minimalist artist Donald Judd.
The dispute traces back to a YouTube video from 2022, now deleted, where the reality television star gave viewers a tour of her SKKN by Kim office, during which she pointed to furniture items and called them “Donald Judd tables.” The problem, according to the Donald Judd Foundation, is that these were not Judd’s creations but replicas sold by Clements Design.
“These Donald Judd tables are really amazing,” Kardashian could be heard saying, praising how they “totally blend in with the seats.”
@kimkardashian Hi Guys! Join me for an exclusive tour inside my @skkn headquarters. You’ve been asking for this video for a long time and I am so excited to finally be able to share with you where my team and I work from. Watch the full video on my YouTube channel now.
♬ original sound - Kim Kardashian
Judd’s estate highlights “cheap knockoffs” of the La Mansana Table 22 and Chair 84, which it asserts were fakes sold to her under the guise of authenticity. With only a few original pieces sold in the last decade, the foundation is keen to preserve Judd’s legacy and has filed a lawsuit against Kardashian and Clements Design, accusing them of misrepresenting the furniture’s provenance.
Upon noticing the video, the Judd Foundation says it reached out to Kardashian’s team, seeking a public retraction and a correction to the video. Although Kardashian’s publicist responded with an apology and a proposal to amend the video description, the foundation demanded more substantial action, including the removal of the video and a clear public statement from Kardashian to distance the celebrity from the brand.
Kim Kardashian made a video touring her SKKN BY KIM office in LA.
— Rob Freund (@RobertFreundLaw) March 28, 2024
In the video, she name-dropped her Donald Judd tables and chairs.
But those furniture pieces were knock-offs, according to a lawsuit filed against Kim by Judd today. pic.twitter.com/q2y5M5b9fx
Judd’s estate notes that Kardashian’s furniture mimics Judd’s hallmark style of “flat, rectangular” design but falls short in quality. Further complicating matters, it has referenced an invoice from Clements Design that seemingly acknowledges the chairs and tables’ status as reproductions, described in the document as “in the style of Donald Judd.” The receipt even included a picture of an authentic dining set owned by the Judd Foundation, raising questions about the clarity of representation in the sale.
The Judd Foundation has lamented that consumers could be confused into thinking Kardashian was sponsored or endorsed by the Donald Judd brand.
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Clements Design, for its part, has refuted the claims, arguing that its designs have “obvious key differences” from Judd’s originals and that any similarity was superficial. It’s expressed disappointment over the lawsuit, indicating that it was “blindsided” and had attempted to address the foundation’s grievances long before the matter reached court.
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The Judd Foundation previously offered to have the furniture replaced with their real counterparts at a discounted price, though it’s unclear if this extension still stands.
Keeping the Clements Design versions may not be an option, as the foundation has asked for them to be recycled.
[via The Independent, The Washington Post, Robb Report, images via various sources]
