Kim Kardashian is suing an Alabama doctor over for linking her to the “Vampire Facial.” According to E, the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star is filing a lawsuit against Charles Runels and Cellular Medicine Association for allegedly using her name and photos without her permission to promote their very own trademarked version of the treatment.
The complaint, which was filed by Kim’s attorneys, is for copyright infringement, infringement of registered mark, false association, violation of the right of publicity and California common law trademark infringement.
Back in 2013 during an episode of Kourtney and Kim Take Miami, the reality star shared her experience getting this now infamous procedure, which consists of patients having their blood drawn to isolate plasma from the red and white blood cells. Once this is done, the platelet-rich plasma that is left is then microneedled back into the skin.
Since, she has been vocal about her regret of getting the procedure. In a blog post just last year, she revealed that she would “never” do it again as it was “really rough and painful.” However, her remorse has nothing to do with her recent legal actions.
“Upon further investigation, Ms. Kardashian was horrified to discover that her name and likeness were plastered all over Runels’ website (www.vampirefacial.com),” the court documents state, per E. “Just below a post disclaiming any association with the Vampire Facial provider from which patients had contracted HIV is a photo captioned, ‘Bar [Refaeli] & Kim Receive the Vampire Facial® Procedure.'”
The action continues that when the Skims founder reached out to the doctor and his trademark attorney to insist that he stop using her name and image without her consent, he not only refused to do so, but he also allegedly demanded that she pay him.
“The Defendants’ use of Ms. Kardashian’s name and likeness is not, and never has been, authorized,” the legal doc continued. “Ms. Kardashian’s actual endorsement for a nationwide campaign such as this would command a fee well into eight figures (assuming she would even agree to do such a campaign, which she most assuredly would not).”
In a blog post on Runel’s official Vampire Facial website, the defendant commented on the situation, writing, “Dr. Runels did not ask her to use the names to promote her show and her online presence, she used them of her own volition after having the procedure done by a physician-member of Dr. Runels’ provider group of licensees.”
