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A number of celebrities, including the likes of Justin Bieber, Snoop Dogg, and Madonna, have been listed in the Bored Ape Yacht Club lawsuit, a class-action suit against Yuga Labs Inc.—the cryptocurrency startup behind the BAYC NFTs. As per the complaint, the celebrities in question were paid or compensated for promoting Yuga assets.
The complaint was filed in the federal Central District Court of California by plaintiffs Adonis Real and Adam Titcher. Both Real and Titcher noted that they bought the NFTS made by Yuga Labs, among other NFT collections, after getting influenced by celebrities, who according to the plaintiffs were part of a scheme to inflate the value of the NFTS.
The complaint cited by CBS reads:
“Defendants’ promotional campaign was wildly successful, generating billions of dollars in sales and re-sales.”
It further added, noting:
“The manufactured celebrity endorsements and misleading promotions regarding the launch of an entire BAYC ecosystem (the so-called Otherside metaverse) were able to artificially increase the interest in and price of the BAYC NFTs during the Relevant Period, causing investors to purchase these losing investments at drastically inflated prices.”
Which celebrities were involved in the Bored Ape Yacht Club Lawsuit?
The Bored Ape Yacht Club Lawsuit listed a list of highly influential celebrities, which includes Justin Bieber, Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin Hart, Snoop Dogg, and Jimmy Fallon, among others. According to the complaint, most of the celebrities were recruited by talent manager Guy Oseary. The complaint also claimed that the celebrities were discreetly paid for their endorsements through the crypto firm MoonPay.
One of the examples cited in the complaints was that of Post Malone, who apparently promoted the NFT in his music video One Right Now, where the rapper is seen buying a Bored Ape NFT on the MoonPay app with Grammy-winning artist, The Weeknd.
The plaintiffs’ lawyers have alleged that there was a blockchain transaction made to the Rockstar singer for $1.4 million worth of ether in October 2021. The plaintiffs have claimed the transaction serves as evidence that Malone was paid for his promotion of BAYC NFTs.
Another celebrity said to be involved in the said scam was Madonna, who reportedly discussed Bored Apes in a Rolling Stone feature. Similarly, Jimmy Fallon promoted Bored Apes and MoonPay on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon.
As cited by Art News, the complaint has characterized Guy Oseary as a mastermind in the scheme. The complaint noted that he,
“saw an opportunity to profit from using his celebrity contacts to promote the sale of Yuga securities, and he took it.”
Per reports by CBS, the lawsuit further notes that the brand relied “heavily on the perception that ‘joining the club’ (i.e., buying a BAYC NFT) would bring buyers status and provide them with benefits, access to events, and “other lucrative investment opportunities exclusive to BAYC holders.”
It further reads:
“In truth, the Executive Defendants and Oseary used their connections to MoonPay and its service as a covert way to compensate the Promoter Defendants for their promotions of the BAYC NFTs without disclosing it to unsuspecting investors.”
Also included in the lawsuit were sports celebrities, including Golden State Warriors personality Stephen Curry and tennis legend Serena Williams.
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