Catherine Zeta-Jones Sues Over Reference To Beauty Product

The news wires yesterday reported that Catherine Zeta-Jones filed a $15 million lawsuit against Caudalie Wednesday in Los Angeles federal court. In her suit Zeta-Joes accuses Caudalie, of boasting that Zeta-Jones "was spotted buying the complete Caudalie range of skincare."

The actress denies using the French company's products or taking advantage of their spa services and says she never gave permission to use her name in promoting the beauty line.

Also named in her suit is the Neiman-Marcus Group Inc. and another company that owns Turnberry Place in Vegas, a group of luxury condos that include a Caudalie spa.

Zeta-Jones alleges that Neiman-Marcus conspired with Claudalie to promote the actress' so-called interest in the products. She accuses the department store of "online exploitation," after it published an interview on its Website with Caudalie founder Mathilde Thomas, who named Zeta-Jones as one of the company's Beverly Hills clients who purchase their skin care products at Neiman-Marcus.

References to Zeta-Jones have since been removed from Caudalie and Neiman's Websites, but at least one beauty Website still touts the actress as a fan of Caudalie's Slimming Treatment Oil, along with supermodel Carla Bruni, actress Isabella Adjani, Princess Caroline of Monaco, Madonna, Donatella Versace and Yasmin Le Bon.

OK. Obviously Zeta-Jones is not afraid of the courts as the press discovered recently over unauthorized shots of her smoking while pregnant and shots of her at her wedding to Michael Douglas.

My question is that even IF Zeta-Jones was spotted purchasing the products and is suspected of using them, does Caudalie have to get permission to say that she did? Can't they say that it is "rumored" that she did? And what if she did use them or did buy them? Do they have to get permission to say that she did? Do all companies have to get permission to say that a celebrity used their products even if they know that they did?

I know that Sephora was sued by Tom Cruise for something similar like unauthorized use of his name.