Hailey Bieber Sued For Trademark Infringement By Minority-Owned Brand

Last week, the supermodel debuted her new skincare line Rhode, which is a nod to her middle name. However, it turns out she's not the only one using this moniker, as TMZ reported that Bieber is now facing a lawsuit from another brand with the same name.

According to court documents, Rhode NYC co-founders Purna Khatau and Phoebe Vickers are currently asking a judge to stop Bieber from using the name "Rhode." They are also requesting that she alter the logo, as they claim it bears a strong resemblance to their own branding.

In the complaint, Khatau and Vickers argue that Bieber's company has already led to significant consumer confusion, seeing as how people have been tagging their brand after both Bieber and her husband, Justin Bieber, promoted the launch on social media.

In a statement posted to Rhode NYC's Instagram page, Khatau and Vickers explained they created their 8-year-old brand "from nothing" and "put years of hard work into our minority co-owned company."

"Today, we were forced to file a lawsuit against Hailey Bieber and her new skincare line that launched last week and that is using the brand 'rhode,'" they said. "We didn’t want to file this lawsuit, but we had to in order to protect our business."

The pair went on to say that they "admire Hailey" and all her hard work, adding that they'd rather "celebrate her" as "fellow women entrepreneurs." However, Khatau and Vickers also stated that the celeb had the option of choosing "any brand for her skincare line," while they only have the brand name "we've built."

"That’s why we didn’t sell her our brand when she asked four years ago, and why we ask her now to change her skincare line’s brand," the filing continued, referencing Bieber's previous attempt to obtain the trademark for "Rhode," which they denied.

"We’re confident in the lawsuit’s outcome, but we hope Hailey will now understand the harm we’re sure she never meant to cause and change her skincare line’s brand," Khatau and Vickers ended their statement. "Thank you to everyone for valuing our vision and supporting us."

Bieber has yet to publicly address the suit, though TMZ later reported that a source connected to her company said Rhode NYC only has the trademark for clothing. Meanwhile, the star owns the trademark for skincare and "Rhode" is part of her full legal name.

Read Khatau and Vickers' entire statement below.

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Photo via Getty / Michael Tran / AFP