Actress Octavia Spencer, former spokesperson for the weight-loss drug Sensa, sued the company for backpay and is now headed to court.
Back in January, we wrote about Spencer’s strained relationship with Sensa, whom she agreed to represent along certain guidelines like clarity about her involvement as a paid spokesperson. But the diet company didn’t like her transparency — they were recently fined by the FDA for failing to disclose other paid spokespeople — and Spencer claims the company still owes her $700,000 of her $1.25 million contract. Spencer says Sensa fired her for sending a number of tweets that were not pre-approved and her determination to include #spon, a hashtag to show that she was a paid spokesperson. Spencer said she did what Sensa asked, including dreaded before and after weightless photos she didn’t really want to do, and they’re just trying to avoid payment through a legal loophole.
Sensa, according to the Hollywood Reporter, is accusing Spencer of breaching her contract by refusing the before and after photos, in addition to the ones the actress approved, neglecting to send pre-approved tweets and essentially tweeting rogue.
On July 17, L.A. Superior Judge Michael Stern ruled that the case is worthy of a trial, which was what the Sensa company was fighting against with a motion for summary judgement.
“Sensa is no stranger to creating a false reality,” commented Bryan Freedman, attorney for Spencer. “We are pleased that the court recognized the same in denying the motion. Ms. Spencer looks forward to presenting the true facts at trial.”
Let the circus commence and lasting spokesperson vs. company laws be written in stone and TMZ lights.
Image via Sensa.