Instagram/kendalljennerKendall Jenner is implicated in the legal backlash against a group of celebrities who promoted the ill-fated Fyre festival, and it could cost her a lot of money.
The baby Kardashian Klan member, Kendall Jenner, was among an army of so-called social media influencers – dubbed the ‘Fyre Starters’ – who are reportedly being sued for fraud, negligent misrepresentation and unfair trade practices, according to Fortune, who called the lawsuit a ‘moment of truth’.
A deluge of prettily-shot posts from Jenner – and the likes of Bella Hadid, Emily Ratajkowski and Bella Thorne – flooded Instagram feeds in December last year, in a bid to promote Fyre Festival, which was marketed as a Caribbean Coachella for elitist rich kids who love the smell of nepotism with their Bellinis.
Instagram/yoventuraMany of the posts simply showed a blank orange square – presumably in line with a pretentious cloak and dagger-style campaign designed to make the rest of us feel enough FOMO to fork out hundreds of pounds for a ticket.
Jenner went for a nice picture of a boat floating in a blue ocean and a source told Vice she received $250,000 for her troubles.
Her representation have yet to comment.
Twitter/BaddieLambilyBut when paying festival-goers arrived at their dream destination of island hedonism, the whole affair turned more Lord of the Flies than lazy weekend on the beach.
The luxury camping constituted tents that I wouldn’t feel comfortable flopping into after a heavy night at the grimiest of festivals, the delicious feasts fed people on cheese sandwiches, and the bands scheduled to play had all cancelled.
Smelling a rat, the social influencers were nowhere to be found, leaving their flocks of sheeple and hired staff stranded on this shambles of an island, camping in accommodations boasting “bug infestations, blood-stained mattresses and no air conditioning”, reports Jezebel.
So Fyre Fest is a complete disaster. Mass chaos. No organization. No one knows where to go. There are no villas, just a disaster tent city. pic.twitter.com/1lSWtnk7cA
— William N. Finley IV (@WNFIV) April 27, 2017
While a $100 million class-action complaint seeking damages was filed against Fyre Festival’s organisers, Kendall and her professional pals may take the rap thanks to another complaint made the following day to California state court.
It points to the organisers as well as those promoting the failed festival, who are being sued for fraud, negligent misrepresentation and unfair trade practices.
William McGeveren, a law professor at the University of Minnesota, said punters could have a case against anyone paid to promote Fyre Festival, adding:
In the offline world, there is precedent for such claims. For example, door-to-door salespersons using deceptive high-pressure tactics could be personally liable for fraud or violating the California [commercial code], right alongside the company that employed them.
The plaintiffs here are arguing that Fyrefest is the Instagram equivalent of door-to-door sales fraud.
The California class action suit has not named Kendall Jenner – or any specific influencers – instead referring to 100 unnamed “Jane Does” who are implicated.
This comes less than a month after the now-infamous Pepsi PR nightmare, thanks to an advert that featured Jenner sorting out all the world’s problems with a can of fizzy pop.
Not even Pepsi can help now.
A former emo kid who talks too much about 8Chan meme culture, the Kardashian Klan, and how her smartphone is probably killing her. Francesca is a Cardiff University Journalism Masters grad who has done words for BBC, ELLE, The Debrief, DAZED, an art magazine you’ve never heard of and a feminist zine which never went to print.