Dua Lipa has filed a $15 million lawsuit against Samsung, accusing the electronics company of exploiting her image to sell televisions without her permission or compensation.
In a complaint filed Friday in the Central District of California, the multiple Grammy winner accuses the electronics company of “copyright infringement, trademark infringement, and infringement of her right of publicity in order to obtain compensation for the massive, ongoing, and unauthorized commercial exploitation of her valuable image and likeness.”
Lipa alleges that Samsung used a photo, to which it owns the copyright, that was taken backstage at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in 2024 and displayed on the packaging of several Samsung TVs from 2025.
“In recognition of Ms. Lipa’s notoriety and good faith, Samsung used a copyrighted image of Ms. Lipa without permission or license and prominently placed it on the front of cartons containing retail Samsung-made televisions,” the lawsuit said.
The “Levitating” singer claims that Samsung continued to profit from her image and refused to comply with her demands to stop using the image, describing the company’s response as “dismissive and cruel.”
The complaint alleges that the electronics manufacturer falsely informed consumers that Lipa endorsed the product, even though it did not. For example, the suit cites comments posted on X and Instagram that suggest some customers were persuaded to buy TVs because of the “Don’t Start Now” singer’s photo.
“I wasn’t even planning on buying a TV but I saw the box so I decided to get it,” one comment read, while the complaint states that another fan posted that he was “going to get this TV just because Duaa is on it.”
“Ms. Lipa’s face was used prominently in a mass marketing campaign for a consumer product without her knowledge, without consideration, and she had no say, control or input whatsoever. Ms. Lipa did not and would not have permitted such use,” the lawsuit said.
Hollywood Reporter We reached out to Samsung for comment, but did not receive a response at the time of publication.
