Social media star Alix Earle is suing British fitness brand Gymshark over allegations it scrapped a lucrative sponsorship deal after her pro-Israel views copped backlash online.
The Hot Mess podcast host filed the allegations against the company in the High Court, arguing Gymshark owes her $1.5 million (AUD) after it prematurely terminated the deal, which required her to share three TikTok videos and four Instagram posts featuring the brand.
The sponsorship was allegedly cut short in late-2023, when Earle became the focus of online criticism for her “perceived stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict”, the court filings read (per The Times).
Prior to signing the contract, Earle came under fire for sharing pro-Israel posts on social media, including one Instagram message in 2023 that urged followers to “stand with the people of Israel”.
Earle’s stance on the war in Gaza was the subject of alleged complaints among Gymshark executives, who received “negative responses” to their collaboration with Earl, according to the filing.
One such response included in the lawsuit was a comment that criticised Gymshark for partnering with a “Zionist when you have Palestinian women as part of your brand”, per The Times.
The influencer alleged that she was dropped from her deal as a result of the backlash, but argued that the complaints Gymshark received were not “accepted as valid” because her pro-Israel posts were shared before both parties entered the sponsorship deal.
As such, Earle is requesting the million-dollar sum in damages after Gymshark axed the deal early.
However, The Times reports that in response, Gymshark is denying it ever signed a sponsorship contract with Earle.
Back in 2023, Earle attempted to walk back her stance on the war in Gaza, writing in a follow-up post amid the backlash that she was “praying for our broken world right now”.
It’s not the first time the influencer has come under fire for her social media posts.
Last year, Earle issued a lengthy apology after her old Ask.fm posts, in which she used a racial slur, resurfaced online.
“I am taking accountability and want to make it clear that I was 13 years old and did not understand the deeply offensive meaning behind that word,” the influencer wrote at the time.
“That is no excuse for using that word in any context or at any age. That absolutely is not the way I speak or what I stand for.”
It comes after Earle’s podcast was dropped from Alex Cooper‘s Unwell Network.
Lead image: @alix_earle/Instagram and @gymshark/Instagram
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