The Canadian pop star calls out the retailer for selling a collection of merchandise featuring his name and likeness 'all without [his] permission and approval.'
- Dec 20, 2022
AceShowbiz - Justin Bieber is not a fan of H&M's new merchandise. The "Justice" star has warned his fans against buying a collection of "trash" merch featuring his name and likeness without his approval.
Making use of his Instagram Story on Monday, December 19, the 28-year-old Canadian pop star called out the retailer for selling merch featuring himself without his consent. "I didn't aprove [sic] any of the merch collection that they put up at H&M .. all without my permission and approval," he wrote over a blank orange screen.
"SMH I WOULDN'T BUY IT IF I WERE YOU," Justin continued. In a following Story, the "Baby" hitmaker went on stressing, "The H&M MERCH THEY MADE OF ME IS TRASH AND I DIDN'T APPROVE IT DONT BUY IT."
While only one item from the collection appears to still be available for purchase on H&M's website, a canvas tote bag ($15) printed with photos of Justin, fans had been sharing photos on Twitter that spotlighted other items, including sweatshirts reading "World Tour" and a phone case emblazoned with lyrics from his song "Ghost".
Following Justin's social media rant, some of his 270 million followers flooded H&M's Instagram account, urging the brand to remove the allegedly unapproved product. "Why you selling Justin's stuff w/o his knowledge… that's sketchy," one person commented on the brand's latest post, while another user added, "Shame on you." Another Belieber wrote, "Using Justin's face and brand without his permission? I hope you guys get sued by him and his team !"
A representative for H&M has responded to Justin's message, stressing that the brand always follows "proper approval procedures." In an email to the Daily News, the rep said, "As with all other licensed products and partnerships, H&M followed proper approval procedures."
While Justin has yet to take any legal action against H&M, the heartthrob hasn't shied away from suing people for using his status for profit in the past. Last year, the "Stay" singer threatened to take artist Brian Andrew Whiteley to court after the painter claimed to be putting together an exhibit of "profound" and "erotic" artwork of the crooner.
Brian later revealed that he received a letter from the singer's lawyers accusing him of "direct infringement of our client's intellectual property rights." Following the back-and-forth, Brian renamed the project from "Paintings from Space" to "Justin Bieber Is Suing Me".
