Reese Witherspoon’s Company Sued Over Dress Giveaway

Reese Witherspoon has found herself in a legal battle due to a giveaway from her clothing company Draper James. On Monday, TMZ reported that three women are putting together a class-action lawsuit against Witherspoon and Draper James for a previous offer that featured the clothing company giving out dresses to teachers amidst the coronavirus pandemic. Draper James originally shared their giveaway in early April, at the very height of this health crisis.

On April 2, Draper James’ Instagram account shared that they would be giving away dresses to teachers as their way of showing gratitude. Prospective recipients were tasked with providing personal information to the brand, such as contact information and sensitive education employment ID details, according to the lawsuit. All of the “winners” of the giveaway would then be notified by April 7. While Draper James did note on Instagram that the offer was valid “while supplies last,” the plaintiffs in the case claimed that the company did not make it clear that they only had 250 dresses to give away.

The lawsuit went on allege that the one million teachers who entered their information were then placed into a lottery when they believed that they would all be receiving free dresses. The plaintiffs in the case shared that the total cost of the 250 dresses comes to an “estimated paltry $12,500 in actual cost” amidst a time “when other individuals of [Reese] Witherspoon’s renown were offering millions of dollars to COVID-19 victims.” The lawsuit also alleges that Draper James received a good deal of publicity for the giveaway, as it was covered on both the Today Show and Good Morning America.

In response to this lawsuit, Draper James’ attorney Theane Evangelis issued a statement to TMZ in which she expressed that the company looks forward to defending itself regarding this matter. The statement read, “This lawsuit is an unjust attempt to exploit Draper James’ good intentions to honor the teacher community by gifting hundreds of free dresses. The fact that supplies were limited, such that a free dress could not be provided to every teacher who responded, was disclosed and is no basis for a lawsuit.” Evangelis added, “Draper James looks forward to defending this case, to continuing its efforts to acknowledge the extraordinary contributions made by teachers during this time of need, and to being vindicated in court.”