These days, social media influencers make bank from clothing companies paying them to wear their clothes as an endorsement. Jersey Shore’s Mike ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino once did the opposite of that though.
Let’s take a look back at his infamous spat with Abercrombie & Fitch and see how the feud ultimately ended.
The Fitchuation
Back in 2013, Sorrentino sued the American lifestyle retailer.
It all boiled down to a shirt that read ‘The Fitchuation’ that Abercrombie & Fitch sold. Thinking it was a reference to his nickname, the reality star decided to file a lawsuit accusing the company of committing trademark infringement and misappropriation of likeness among other offenses.
You see, Sorrentino was also selling statement shirts at the time to capitalize on his ‘Jersey Shore’ fame. His merchandise often featured the words ‘Official Situation Nation’ and ‘The Situation’ imprinted on the items.
In the end, though, Sorrentino’s claims were shot down. The judge presiding over the case determined that ‘The Fitchuation’ shirts were virtually and phonetically different from those that the reality star was selling.
Another Scuffle
That’s not the only time that Abercrombie and Sorrentino butted heads though.
During an episode of ‘Jersey Shore’, Sorrentino was seen wearing a pair of sweatpants that bore the Abercrombie logo. MTV reportedly forgot to blur out the logo as it typically does and the fashion brand wasn’t too happy about it.
Abercrombie was upset about the incident as they were afraid people would think that the presence of their brand logo on the show meant an endorsement. The company didn’t want to be associated with the negative reputation that the stars of ‘Jersey Shore’ had.
The $10,000 Offer
With Sorrentino being seen sporting Abercrombie clothes in public, the brand decided to offer him $10,000 to not wear their clothing anymore.
In a letter to MTV, the company reportedly said that they weren’t trying to pursue legal action but were willing to pay the cast to not wear the Abercrombie & Fitch brand anymore.
Fortunately, things seemed to have ended well for both parties. Sorrentino now owns an online store where he continues to sell merchandise that features his famous catchphrases from his Jersey Shore days.
The Situation Store sells clothing for men, women, and children. He runs the website with his wife Lauren Pesce-Sorrentino, who also appeared with him on the now-defunct MTV show.
