Cosmetics firm sues Teri Hatcher for breach of contract

Skin care specialist Hydroderm has sued Desperate Housewives star Teri Hatcher for $2.8 million for alleged breach of contract, according to press reports.

While celebrity endorsements have proved a money spinner for cosmetics manufacturers in recent years, the relationship between stars and firms is not always an easy one. In a suit filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court, Hydroderm claims that Hatcher violated an exclusive marketing contract by endorsing a lip enhancer developed by City Cosmetics, which was in direct competition with one of its products. Hydroderm alleges the actress had struck a deal that prevents her from endorsing cosmetics marketed by its competitors. The company had paid $2.4m to Hatcher to endorse its products and now wants the money back along with an additional $406, 952 that it claims to have incurred in costs related to the deal. Hatcher issued a statement in response describing the allegations as "totally false and without merit." The loyalty of a star to a particular brand is vital from a marketing point of view and relations can turn soar if contracts are not respected. Earlier this week Nicole Kidman responded quickly to claims that she had breached her contract with Chanel No. 5 by using other perfumes. The British newspaper the Daily Telegraph claimed that Kidman prefers Jo Malone's White Jasmine and Mint Scent to the Chanel No. 5 perfume that she is paid to endorse. Protecting her public image and her contract with Chanel No. 5 the actress is suing the newspaper claiming that the allegations are 'grossly untrue' and 'defamatory'.