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Actress Sues Belvedere Vodka After She Ends Up in Rapey Ad
An actress sued Belvedere Vodka after her image was used unwittingly in an ad that jokes about date rape.
The ad shows a drunken frat boy type holding back a girl who looks horrified. The ad says, "Unlike some people Belvedere always goes down smoothly." The company ended up yanking the ad that showed up on its Facebook and Twitter accounts after there was an outcry . Belvedere President Charles Gibb apologized for the ad when the company pulled it, saying, "It should never have happened."
It turns out the voice actress whose image was used was horrified in real life, too. Alicyn Packard filed a suit against Moet Hennessy USA seeking damages and claiming misappropriation of likeness and negligent infliction of emotional distress, according to City News Service.
The suit says the ad was taken from a video put together by Strictly Viral Productions, which is owned by Packard and the man in the picture Chris Strickland. Packard voices the character on the Cartoon Network's " The Mr. Men Show ."
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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