Lindsay Lohan is all set for a fierce legal battle as she has sued E*Trade Financial Corp for $100 million, saying a “milkaholic” baby girl who appeared in a recent commercial was modeled after her. Lohan alleged that the girl in the ad, who is also named Lindsay, improperly invoked her “likeness, name, characterization, and personality” without permission, violating her right to privacy. According to the lawsuit filed by Miss Lohan on Monday in a Nassau County, New York state court, the actress has sought $50 million of compensatory damages and $50 million of exemplary damages. Furthermore, she has also demanded that E*Trade stop running the ad and turn over all copies. Lohan’s lawyer Stephanie Ovadia maintained that Lohan has the same “single-name” recognition as Oprah Winfrey and Madonna.
The controversial ad was shown in the February 7 Super Bowl, which according to Nielsen Media, drew about 106.5 million American viewers, a record for a U.S. television program. In the ad, a baby boy apologizes to his girlfriend through a video chat for not calling her the night before because he was on E*Trade.
The camera switches to the girl, who asks suspiciously, “And that milkaholic Lindsay wasn’t over?” It then switches back to the boy, who uneasily replies, “Lindsay?” before another baby girl. Presumably, Lindsay moves into the frame and asks, “Milk-a-what?”
A spokesman for Grey Group, which produced the E*Trade ad, told a newspaper the “Lindsay” in the ad was named after a member of its account team.
[Reuters]