Kim Kardashian Sued for False Claims on Donald Judd Furniture

Kim Kardashian has stated that the late great Minimalist artist fabricated a collection of tables, prompting the Donald Judd Foundation to sue her.

The lawsuit originated from a promotional video that Kim Kardashian posted in 2022, showcasing her company’s offices, according to the New York Times. In the video, she was showing different designs, among them “Donald Judd tables.

Admiring his work, Kardashian said, “Though they flow so well with the seats, they are from Judd’s foundation, known for its 2020 Museum of Modern Art retrospective.” But the foundation of Judd, which protects the legacy of the artist, pushed back on the dining set as an authentic Judd piece. The lawsuit has been filed in the US District Court in the Central District of California against Kardashian as well as the design firm Clements Design, which prepared the set for the show.

Stating that both parties violate the trademark and copyright, she said consumers could wrongly associate Kardashian’s use of the Judd brand as an official endorsement. To the reply, there is a clear distinction between their furniture and Judd’s creations; this was the reply by Clements Design.

Over 3.6 million people watched the video on YouTube, showcasing the disputed tables in Kardashian’s California office kitchen. The Foundation contacted Kardashian as soon as the video appeared and asked her to take it down and issue a statement in which she would acknowledge the mistake. Despite attempted negotiations, including offers of social media promotion, the parties failed to reach a resolution.

Clements Design assures that its furniture is substantially different from Judd’s designs. They quoted differences in materials and dimensions. However, the Foundation forwarded an invoice from Clements Designs, stating that the tables were “in the style of Donald Judd,” attesting to their devotion to the preservation of Judd’s legacy without mention of Kardashian.