Kim Kardashian Sues Doctor Using Her to Promote 'Vampire Facials'

Kim Kardashian is suing Dr. Charles Runels over his use of her name and face to promote a 'vampire [...]

Kim Kardashian is suing Dr. Charles Runels over his use of her name and face to promote a "vampire facial," a cosmetic treatment in which the patients' own blood is micro-needled into their face that she once received on a 2013 episode of Kourtney and Kim Take Miami.

PEOPLE obtained court documents Kardashian filed against the Alabama-based doctor and the Cellular Medicine Association that reveal the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star is suing for copyright infringement, infringement of registered mark, false association, violation of the right of publicity and California common law trademark infringement. Kardashian claims Runels has used her name and image in promotional materials, including his website and LinkedIn page.

"Upon further investigation, Ms. Kardashian was horrified to discover that her name and likeness were plastered all over Runels' website," the documents read. "Just below a post disclaiming any association with the Vampire Facial provider from which patients had contracted HIV is a photo captioned, 'Bar & Kim Receive the Vampire Facial® Procedure.'"

Kardashian claims in the documents that she reached out to Runels asking him to stop using her name and face, but he declined, asking her to pay him for using the facial to promote the E! reality show at the time.

"The Defendants' use of Ms. Kardashian's name and likeness is not, and never has been, authorized. The Defendants have never sought Ms. Kardashian's permission to use her as a 'face' for their products and services, and Ms. Kardashian has never given such permission," the documents continue. "Ms. Kardashian's actual endorsement for a nationwide campaign such as this would command a fee well into eight figures (assuming she would even agree to do such a campaign, which she most assuredly would not)."

Runels has responded to Kardashian's claims publicly, writing on his business' website that he "did not ask her to use the names to promote her show and her online presence; she used them of her own volition after having the procedure done by a physician-member of Dr. Runels' provider group of licensees."

"Still, he will remove all mention of her name and all images of her face from his websites — as if she never had the procedure at all," he continued.

Photo credit: Getty / Angela Weiss

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