Reese Witherspoon’s Company, Draper James, Hit With A Class Action Lawsuit After Failed Dress Giveaway
Reese Witherspoon’s clothing company, Draper James, was hit with a class-action lawsuit for a failed giveaway, TMZ reported on Monday. In April, the company hosted an Instagram contest aimed at thanking teachers. The three women named in the suit claim that the company was not clear on the terms of the promotion.
As The Inquisitr previously reported, Draper James offered a giveaway in April for teachers to enter and win a free dress. The announcement was made on the small clothing company’s Instagram page.
“Dear Teachers: We want to say thank you. During quarantine, we see you working harder than ever to educate our children. To show our gratitude, Draper James would like to give teachers a free dress,” the caption read.
Nearly 1 million teachers provided personal information, including an employment ID number, to enter the contest. The company wrote in their post that winners would be notified three days later.
The suit claims that Draper James was not clear about how many dresses the company would be giving away and that those entering the contest believed that they would all win a free dress. Although the post said “while supplies last,” it did not include a description of how abundant the supply would be. The fewer than 30-person company planned on giving away 250 dresses for the promotion.
The suit continued to allege that the 250 dresses weren’t worth very much money, especially in comparison to what other celebrities were donating at the time. In total, the dresses were valued at $12,500.
“Other individuals of [Reese] Witherspoon’s renown were offering millions of dollars to COVID-19 victims,” the lawsuit alleged.
The suit also alleged that Draper James benefited publicly from the promotion since the contest was heavily covered in the media. Good Morning America and Today, both shows with millions of daily viewers, discussed the brand.
The women suing are seeking damages.
Draper James’ attorney, Theane Evangelis, provided a statement to TMZ defending the company.
“This lawsuit is an unjust attempt to exploit Draper James’ good intentions to honor the teacher community by gifting hundreds of free dresses. The fact that supplies were limited, such that a free dress could not be provided to every teacher who responded, was disclosed and is no basis for a lawsuit.”
In response to the backlash the brand initially received, Witherspoon donated an undisclosed amount to the organization DonorsChoose, which provides support to teachers in Nashville, Atlanta, and New Orleans. The donation will provide grants to educators so that they can purchase needed school supplies.
