The family and friends of late TLC R&B star Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopes have threatened a trendy Los Angeles clothing company with legal action after learning the owners have used the star as an inspiration for new designs without permission. Dragonfly designers staged a photo shoot with models posing as dead stars as part of reality show Janice Dickinson’s Modeling Agency, which aired on Tuesday night – and Lopes’ loved ones were horrified to see the singer’s likeness created. Lopes’ stunned former best friend and publicist Jay Morose says, “They explicitly said they are portraying Elvis, Kurt Cobain and my friend, Lisa Lopes. The photos are now online as a catalogue for this company. They even identify the models by their rock star names.” Morose approached Dragonfly bosses after speaking with the late star’s family – in an effort to have the upsetting images taken down. He adds, “An assistant told me they can do whatever they want with the images. But it’s tasteless – and also highly illegal. In California, tort law generally prohibits commercial use of a celebrity’s likeness without consent. This matter has been passed on to the family’s attorneys.” Lopes was killed in a car accident in Honduras in 2002.
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