Catch Me If You Can: Photographer Suing Bella Hadid Struggling to Track Down Model to Serve Her Court Papers
Feb. 21 2024, Published 5:30 a.m. ET
A company that sued Bella Hadid said it hired a professional to track down the model but they have been unable to find her to serve her legal paperwork.
According to court documents obtained by RadarOnline.com, Chosen Figure, a New York business that sued Hadid for copyright infringement, said, "Hadid is an individual celebrity supermodel who maintains multiple residences."
It added, "Despite repeated efforts to serve and/or contact Ms. Hadid at multiple residential addresses in both New York and California, all attempts thus far have been unsuccessful, either because she is no longer residing at the address provided, or because the process server was unable to gain entry to the premises where she reportedly resides."
The company said it first tried to serve the model at her New York home in August 2023.
Then they hired a process server to attempt to serve Bella at a Malibu home in September 2023. They were told that a "stakeout" would be required.
In late January, the company said it tried again at her New York home but was unsuccessful. Now, they have asked for an extra month to try and track down Bella.
As RadarOnline.com first reported, in August 2023, a New York-based company Chosen Figure LLC sued Hadid over a post published on her Instagram.
Chosen Figures said it represents a professional photographer who makes their money by licensing work to third parties.
The photographer in question took a photo of the model outside an apartment on August 12, 2020. The image was later copyrighted.
Chosen Figure said Hadid took the photo and posted it on her Instagram without permission or paying a license fee.
In the suit, the company accused the model of receiving a direct “financial benefit” from using the photo. In addition, they claimed her use of the photo killed any chance of them licensing it to a third party.
“[Chosen Figure] has not licensed [Hadid] the right to use the Photograph in any manner, nor has [Chosen Figure] assigned any of its exclusive rights in the copyrights to [Bella],” the suit read.
The lawsuit demanded unspecified damages and all profits Bella made from posting the photo.
The case was filed weeks before Bella’s sister Gigi was sued by a photographer named Ulices Ramales over similar claims.
For her part, Bella has been busy with her new cowboy boyfriend.