The foundation representing 20th Century artist Donald Judd is suing Kim Kardashian and her designers over a set of “knockoff” tables and chairs.
In a complaint filed in the Central District of California, the Judd Foundation says Kardashian falsely promoted the furniture and suggested a commercial association with Donald Judd in a video tour of her SKKN offices in August 2022.
“The tables and chairs shown in the Kardashian Video are not authentic Donald Judd pieces fabricated by Judd Foundation but were instead unauthorized knockoffs that were produced by Clements Design,” the complaint said.
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When asked for comment, Kardashian’s spokesperson shared a statement from Clements Design, which said the Judd Foundation previously acknowledged “obvious key differences” in the designs and that they are now being “blindsided” by this lawsuit.
In the video, which has since been removed from Kardashian’s YouTube channel, the influencer-turned-entrepreneur guides viewers through her newly opened office space, pointing out various art and design highlights.
“If you guys are furniture people — because I’ve really gotten into furniture lately — these Donald Judd tables are really amazing and totally blend in with the seats,” she said.
The Foundation says it contacted Kardashian about the furniture shortly after the video was first posted, to which her spokesperson apologized and offered to “update the video caption with a retraction,” according to the complaint.
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That offer was declined since it would “send a message to the general public that knockoff tables are not harmful,” the complaint said.
The filing also includes alleged invoices from Clements Design showing line items for two tables and 24 chairs made of plywood “in the Style of Donald Judd.”
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Prices on the invoice are redacted, but the Judd Foundation says authentic La Mansana tables are made of 2×12 hardwood boards (plywood is forbidden) and sell for $90,000. Hardwood versions of the Chair 84 sell for $9,000 each.
Donald Judd died in 1994, and his namesake foundation now manages his legacy and intellectual property.
While it’s possible that Kardashian might have spared herself some trouble if she had said “Judd-style” rather than suggesting they were authentic, the Foundation said in the filing that her name-dropping of other artists who have in fact collaborated with her means that she was intentionally seeking to link her brand to Judd’s.
And the complaint doesn’t stop there.
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The foundation also takes aim at the arrangement of the SKKN space, saying it was cribbed from a display in Texas, where “famous celebrities and tens of thousands of art enthusiasts make the pilgrimage” each year to see Judd’s work.
Now, the Judd Foundation is demanding that Kardashian and her designers destroy the furniture, issue a public statement, and face a litany of financial and legal penalties, terms Clements says are not reasonable.
