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Hollywood actor Clint Eastwood is suing a number of cannabis companies that he claims have falsely used his name to endorse their products.
The 90-year-old man accuses companies of spreading fake articles and tagging their websites with his name to make it appear that he has endorsed their products.
Almost 20 companies are named in the lawsuits, accused of trademark infringement and defamation, among other violations.
One company, Sera Labs, said it had stopped the fake ads “immediately”.
All companies sell products with CBD, an extract from the marijuana plant that has no psychoactive properties. It is used in products such as creams, oils, and foods.
However, Eastwood’s attorneys, who have starred in films like Mystic River and Dirty Harry, in addition to having been a director, said he “has not and never has had” any association with CBD.
‘No association with CBD’
One of the fake articles was titled “Big Pharma In Outrage Over Clint Eastwood’s CBD” and quotes the actor as saying he is stepping away from his acting career to promote a new line of CBD products, according to one of the two lawsuits, who appeared in federal court in California.
But Eastwood’s attorneys say he never gave that interview.
The other lawsuit concerns an “internet scam,” in which companies tagged their websites with the name Eastwood, a move that made it appear that they had endorsed the products, while making it easier for people searching on online find your products.
“Like many of his most famous personalities, Eastwood is not afraid to face wrongdoing and hold those who try to illegally exploit his name accountable,” court documents say.
‘Stopped immediately’
The lawsuits say it is standard practice for Eastwood to reject license agreements and reserve his celebrity to advertise his films and other personal interests.
One of the CBD firms in the lawsuit, Sera Labs, said it did not know that its products were falsely linked to the actor.
He said that “he had worked for a limited time with an editor and gave them specific advertisements that they could use and that they followed our strict guidelines.”
He added that “he closed the ads immediately after learning they used Eastwood’s name and image.”
