Urban Outfitters Sued For $28 Million For Inappropriate Pictures Of 15-Year-Old Model (UPDATED)

Just like its retail siblings American Apparel and Abercrombie & Fitch, Urban Outfitters always seems to be getting itself in some sort of trouble.

This time it's not distasteful tees but rather distasteful pictures. The New York Daily News reports that the parents of a 15-year-old model are suing the retailer for using "x-rated pictures" of her, taken by photographer Jason Lee Perry in 2010, on t-shirts and other merch.

The photos, the lawsuit says, feature the young model "posed in a blatantly salacious manner with her legs spread, without a bra, revealing portions of her breasts" and pubic hair, violating laws that forbid portraying a child in a "sexually suggestive manner."

The lawsuit also states that the girl was photographed with a beer and riding on a motorcycle without a helmet, but that sort of seems besides the point.

We weren't able to find any of the offending products on Urban Outfitter's website ourselves, but the Daily Mail found a picture of one of the t-shirts in question.

The $28 million lawsuit, in which the model's parents say they knew the shoot was happening but did not give permission to use the pictures, is yet another controversy over the suggestive portrayal of young girls, which seems to be a hot topic in recent weeks.

10-year-old model Thylane Loubry Blondeau ignited the debate over sexualizing young girls from her saucy pictures in a French Vogue photo shoot. More headlines have cropped up since, including a story about a kiddie lingerie line (and the questionable photos used to promote it) as well as Good Morning America's story over padded bras aimed at young teens.

Retailers and magazines may be riding a cultural youth wave -- tweens might simply be the next "It" thing, replaced by some other phenomenon in a month or two. But in the meantime, fashion is ruffling more than a few parental feathers.

Read more about the Urban Outfitters lawsuit at NYDailyNews.com.

UPDATE, 3/12/12: After Urban Outfitters tried and failed to have the case dismissed, Clauson's suit will move forward in court.

Comments

[LivelyLexie]

09:45 AM on 09/22/2011

The model's parents knew the shoot was happening? That their kid was having these pictures taken? How is that not some kind of abuse?!

[lovelybunchofcoconuts]

02:35 PM on 08/31/2011

I don't really see how this is a parent failure. If your child is modeling you can't be looking over the photographer's shoulder all the time. He's sleazy as ifyouseekay for taking them and then selling them, and I hope the parents win.

[ctpicman]

09:04 AM on 08/24/2011

Wait a minute. Let me get this straight. You let your underage daughter pose for these smutty photos; you know this while the photo shoot is going on; and, now, after the photographer sells them, you get all upset? Now, I don't condone exploiting children, but the parents of this girl should be in jail because THEY LET IT HAPPEN! Not only did they let it happen, but they KNEW IT WAS GOING ON! They undoubtedly signed a release form on behalf of their minor daughter. Can you spell S-T-U-P-I-D?

Whenever I photograph a minor I ALWAYS have a parent or other responsible adult present--that protects me as well as the minor child. I guess I should change my policy and require a SANE, responsible adult be present!

[bohol2528]

06:52 AM on 08/24/2011

After looking at the picture I fail to see anything pornograghic. I would wear it mind you but that's simply because it's not my style. But as an owner of a T-shirt company myself, it's very tame compared to a lot of others I've seen over the years.

[ladymulti]

11:24 PM on 08/23/2011

Since my other mention of this was within a debate of another user, I'll say it as a comment alone..:

If you hunt the model's own personal blog down you find similar poses (the spread legs thing) in other pictures. (I hunted her name down and searched for it). There is also a picture of her wearing blue jeans and only a lace bra for a top... And other of her in a white button up shirt that is unbuttoned... I only checked the 2009-2010 photographs, too.

[mrm3]

06:34 PM on 08/23/2011

parent FAIL

[saracastle00]

05:32 PM on 08/23/2011

They really going to sue them for a photo they agreed to take? It's called modelling dummys look it up.

[aquah04]

02:43 PM on 08/23/2011

then it says" the parents knew the pictures were being taken but did not give permission to use"

WHAT DO YOU THINK THE PICTURES ARE BEING TAKEN FOR?
TO BE HIDDEN IN A CLOSET?

[aquah04]

02:41 PM on 08/23/2011

THE MOM DOESNT LIKE THE PICTURE BEACUSE SHE FEELS IT IS "X RATED"
for her daughters age

first off
if the mother feels this way...and the girl is what..15 yrs old?

she needed parents consent didnt she to take those photos in the first place?

parent just wants money.

[Hager Salem]

11:37 AM on 08/23/2011

FACT IS: it is only because the actual model is 15 that concern is raised with the photo. what about 18+ models who still look very young and pose in similar ways?

SIDE NOTE: seems like the protesters are more concerned with the censorship of the image than the parents of the model are.

[gerald1961]

06:51 PM on 08/22/2011

Trashy people.

[aaronrossi]

05:20 PM on 08/22/2011

i've seen the entire photo and it is artistically stunning. although it is DEFINITELY sexual, there is nothing x-rated about it. do a google search of her and you will find countless pics of her that are equally, if not more, sexual than this one. what the he!! did her parents think she was signing up for when they let her be a MODEL?!?!

[Ricardo01]

04:32 PM on 08/22/2011

X rated? Do they know what X rated means? I've seen more at the beach. If they are so worried about their daughter, why aren't they at the photo sessions? Oh, they are probably at the bank cashing her checks.

[Max Shaw]

01:25 PM on 08/22/2011

Urban Outfitter and American Apparel can burn in hell.

[Ricardo01]

04:38 PM on 08/22/2011

Because corporations are people?

[Max Shaw]

04:57 PM on 08/22/2011

I speak mainly of the top bracket within, but no, because they are soft-core p0rn peddling, sexual predators with a record of exploiting children, workers, and offering cheap, ill-made and ill-fitting garments I dont even think lost tribes of the amazons would wear if we dropped crates in their villages. They would most surely burn them.

[Libertard]

08:19 AM on 08/22/2011

The parents exhibit the epitome of hypocrisy after they pimp out their daughter themselves.