The Judd Foundation filed a lawsuit against Kim Kardashian for claims made in a 2022 YouTube video of her SKKN by Kim office.
In the since-removed video, Kardashian highlighted what she called "Donald Judd tables," adding that the pieces "totally blend in with the seats."
But the foundation that oversees the estate of the late minimalist visual artist claims that the dining set is inauthentic. In the lawsuit, West Hollywood interior design firm Clements Design is named. According to the New York Times, Clements is being sued by the Judd Foundation for trademark and copyright infringement.
“Consumers are likely to believe Judd Foundation and the Donald Judd brand are connected or affiliated with, or otherwise sponsored or endorsed Ms. Kardashian,” reads the suit. “Judd Foundation categorically prohibits customers from using purchased Donald Judd furniture for marketing and promotional purposes.”
Pointing out "obvious key differences" between their table and a Judd original, Clements wrote in a statement that they were "blindsided" by the filing and sought a resolution with the foundation. However, the company says that the foundation "was unwilling to settle on reasonable terms."
The Judd Foundation reportedly contacted Kardashian three days after the YouTube video was posted, and a spokesperson for the businesswoman responded with an apology for "any inconvenience" and offered to "update the video caption with a retraction."
The response was unsatisfactory for the foundation, which asked that the video be removed altogether and the furniture be "recycled." Kim's team came back with another offer, this time to promote the foundation in a social media post. Despite the attempts of Kardashian's team, the Judd Foundation seems to want no association with her brand.
"It is lower quality than Donald Judd’s furniture,” Megan Bannigan, a lawyer for the foundation, told the NYT. "We don’t want to be mixed up with Kim Kardashian. We respect what she does, but we don’t want to be involved with this."
