Sofía Vergara has filed a $15 million lawsuit against Venus Concept, Us Weekly can confirm. The Modern Family actress is taking legal action against the beauty company for using her name and likeness in their advertising materials without her permission.
Vergara, 43, was first linked to Venus Concept ahead of the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards in August 2014. The Colombian star used the Venus Legacy machine to get red carpet ready, and posted a WhoSay photo during the treatment.
In the selfie, Vergara rested on her stomach as a woman worked on her backside. “What is so funny Marilyn??” she wrote at the time. “Legacy massage at @drlancerrx.”
According to court documents, the company has allegedly been using blown-up photos of Vergara’s face and her name to promote its products at exhibition booths, trade shows and on the internet.
Vergara — who already has endorsement deals with CoverGirl, Head & Shoulders and Rooms 2 Go — has been battling with Venus Concept for more than a year now.
“Sofía personally prides herself on believing in what she sells and she talks about it genuinely,” a source tells Us. “For someone to just slap her face and image on something that she doesn’t even like, she just feels like she’s cheating her fans.”
Venus Concepts released a statement to Us Weekly about the situation on Thursday, January 28. “Our company has not yet been served with the lawsuit involving Venus Legacy, however, we are surprised by its filing and intend to vigorously defend our company in this matter,” the statement read. “Thousands of satisfied patients and customers are using Venus technologies every day in over 50 countries worldwide. Our award-winning technology strives to make a profound impact in the aesthetic communities we serve around the world. We are committed to delivering an elevated customer experience. We look forward to resolving this matter expeditiously.”
