Hailey Bieber is facing a new “rhodeblock” in regards to her brand new line of skincare.
The 25-year-old wife of singer Justin Bieber launched her latest line of curated skincare products on June 15. The line, Rhode, originally stemmed from the model’s middle name.
Clothing brand Rhode NYC is suing Hailey for using the same name
Although Hailey’s brand launched only a week ago, she is already facing a lawsuit for trademark infringement by Rhode NYC clothing company.
In obtained court filings, Rhode NYC, which was founded by two women in 2013, claimed Hailey’s name was too similar to the one they had already trademarked. Along with the name itself, Rhode NYC also said that the model’s logo for her skincare brand looked too similar to its own.
The clothing brand explained how Hailey previously tried to purchase the Rhode trademark from Rhode NYC, but the brand’s owners refused to sell it.
A source associated with Hailey revealed to TMZ that she owns the Rhode trademark for skin care products, while Rhode NYC owns the trademark for clothing brands. If taken to court, Rhode NYC will still request Hailey to drop the Rhode name for her company.
Rhode NYC’s public statement in regards to lawsuit
On Tuesday, the clothing brand’s founders Purna and Phoebe, released a statement on Instagram explaining how they were forced to sue Hailey – despite wishing they didn’t have to.
“Nine years ago, we quit our jobs and founded Rhode out of our apartment, creating a fashion company from nothing. We’re two women entrepreneurs who met in college, built the RHODE brand, and put years of hard work into our minority co-owned company,” they wrote.
“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.’ We didn’t want to file this lawsuit, but we had to in order to protect our business.”
“We admire Hailey. She has worked hard and earned the ability to create her own skincare line. We don’t want to sue Hailey; we want to celebrate her. As fellow women entrepreneurs, we wish her every success,” the founders continued.
The clothing company also went on to explain that Hailey’s new brand, which has seemingly taken over the name, has caused their business to slow down and confuse customers.
“Hailey could choose any brand for her skincare line. We have only the brand name ‘RHODE’ that 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. Her using our brand is hurting our company, our employees, our customers, and our partners.”
“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,” they concluded. “Thank you to everyone for valuing our vision and supporting us.”
Currently, the name Rhode for Hailey Bieber’s skincare line remains.