Jersey Shore's The Situation Suing Abercrombie & Fitch for $4 Million
Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino
Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino of Jersey Shore is suing Abercrombie & Fitch to the tune of $4 million, according to court documents obtained by E! News.
The suit stems from a statement the clothing label issued in August — something many considered a publicity stunt -- titled "Abercrombie & Fitch Proposes a Win-Win Situation." The release stated, "We are deeply concerned that Mr. Sorrentino's association with our brand could cause significant damage to our image. We understand that the show is for entertainment purposes, but believe this association is contrary to the aspirational nature of our brand, and may be distressing to many of our fans."
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The company then offered to pay Sorrentino, in addition to the show's producers, to not wear the label. According to his legal team, this offer was never extended.
Sorrentino's suit claims that Abercrombie & Fitch sells T-shirts featuring the Jersey Shore-coined slogan "GTL...You Know the Deal" and others that read, "The Fitchuation." His lawyers are calling it a violation of their client's trademarked Jersey Shore catchphrases.
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"As a result of [Abercrombie & Fitch's] publicity campaign, [the retailer] profited off of the use of a false affiliation with Sorrentino," his legal team says. "It has wrongly used Sorrentino's name, image and likeness for advertising purposes in violation of applicable law."
Sorrentino and his team are hoping for a jury trial, $1 million royalty, and $3 million in damages.
Abercrombie & Fitch did not immediately respond to requests for comment.