Kim Kardashian is being sued by the Donald Judd Foundation for claiming the famous Minimalist created a set of tables.
The case was reported first New York TimesKardashian is based on a promotional video released in 2022 in which she tours the offices of her company Skkn by Kim, highlighting the design highlights of the elegant premises, including what she calls “Donald Judd desks”.
Kardashian praises Judd, whose work was included in a Museum of Modern Art retrospective in 2020, saying the tables “completely match the seating.”
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But the nonprofit that manages his estate has pointed out that the dining room is not a real Judd. The organization filed a lawsuit against Kardashian on Wednesday, accusing her of making false claims.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, also names West Hollywood firm Clements Design. According to court documents, the company created the dining room, which bears a striking resemblance to Judd’s designs. The foundation accused the company of trademark and copyright infringement.
“Consumers believe that the Judd Foundation and the Donald Judd brand are associated with, affiliated with, or otherwise sponsor or support Ms. Kardashian,” the lawsuit states. The times. “The Judd Foundation strictly prohibits the use of Donald Judd furniture purchased by customers for marketing and promotional purposes.”
In a statement, Clements Design said there were “obvious key differences” between its furniture and Judd’s work, and that it was “blindsided” by the lawsuit. According to the company, it was seeking an amicable resolution with the Judd Foundation, but the latter was “unwilling to agree on reasonable terms.”
The company added: “These claims have absolutely no merit.”
Kardashian posted the video on YouTube in 2022, and it has since received more than 3.6 million views. The competing tables are in the kitchen of his office in California and are similar to two Judd pieces: the La Mansana 22 table and the 84 chair.
The Judd Foundation said The times that he contacted Kardashian about the tables three days after the video was posted. (It was removed from YouTube on Wednesday after the lawsuit was filed.) A Kardashian spokesperson reportedly told the foundation that they were “extremely sorry for the inconvenience caused to the foundation” and offered to “update the caption with a retraction.”
The foundation declined the offer, insisting that the video be deleted and the furniture “recycled,” and that Kardashian issue a public statement on the matter. Kardashian’s team offered to create a social media post promoting the foundation, according to court documents. After that, the negotiations broke down.
Clements Design has argued that the furniture is sufficiently different from Judd’s designs, given the different types of wood and proportions. The foundation, however, pointed to an invoice from Clements Designs, which described the tables as being made “in the style of Donald Judd”.
“It’s lower quality than Donald Judd’s furniture,” said Megan Bannigan, a lawyer representing the foundation. The times. “We don’t want to mess with Kim Kardashian. We respect what she does, but we don’t want to be a part of it.”
