Having been in the spotlight since she was just a kid, Lindsay Lohan is no stranger to mass media coverage. Everything from her acting career to her personal life has been media fodder, and this has opened the star up to facing criticism and a ton of scrutiny from many.
Years back, Lohan filed a massive $100 million lawsuit against a major company, and it all stemmed from a commercial that took some unnecessary shots at the star during a tumultuous time in her life. For a lawsuit this big, the commercial clearly crossed the line with the former Disney star.
Let’s take a look back at Lohan’s massive lawsuit, the commercial in question, and how things played out once the law got involved.
Lindsay Lohan Filed A $100 Million Lawsuit Against E*Trade
via instar
Lindsay Lohan, an actress and decades-long public figure, filed a massive $100 million against a major company back in 2010.
E*Trade, a massive company, aired a commercial during the Super Bowl, and they made Lohan an alleged target.
“E*Trade’s ad was shown in the Feb. 7 Super Bowl, which according to Nielsen media drew about 106.5 million American viewers, a record for a U.S. television program. It is part of a series of ads featuring babies who play the markets,” NBC News reported about the commercial’s massive audience.
According to ABC, Stephania Ovadia, Lohan’s lawyer, said, “Many celebrities are known by one name only, and E-Trade is using that knowledge to profit.”
“They used the name Lindsay. They’re using her name as a parody of her life. Why didn’t they use the name Susan? This is a subliminal message. Everybody’s talking about it and saying it’s Lindsay Lohan,” Ovadia continued.
The company did counter, saying that Lohan isn’t the only Lohan around.
“A spokesman for Grey Group, which the Post said produced the E*Trade ad, told the newspaper the “Lindsay” in the ad was named after a member of its account team,” NBC News reported.
Now, you might be wondering what in the world E*Trade did to incur the wrath of Lohan, and get taken to court for nine figures. Let’s just say that the company came swinging with haymakers at the star, being overtly mean, while trying to catch the attention of potential customers.
The Commercial In Question
Per ABC News, “The disputed ad debuted during the Super Bowl and features a boy baby saying sorry to his “girlfriend” for not calling the night previous.”
From there, we get into the moment in question.
“The baby girl is instantly suspicious (wise baby!) and says: ‘And that milkaholic Lindsay wasn’t over?,'” the site continued
“‘Lindsay?” says the boy as a baby girl’s head comes into the frame and slurs ‘Milk-a-what?'”
Keep in mind that was on the heels of the 2000s, a decade that saw Linday Lohan deal with substance abuse and legal issues. So, the folks behind this commercial, in all their infinite wisdom, though it would be hilarious to poke fun at Lohan’s substance abuse struggles for millions to laugh at.
Circling back to Lohan’s lawyer’s comments, it’s clear as day that the commercial was talking about the former Parent Trap star. It was stated that had another celebs name, like Oprah been used, then there would be no question as to who the commercial was referring to.
Some people were caught off guard by the lawsuit, but Lohan was more than justified to seek damages for what E*Trade had done. They were effectively humiliating her in the most public way possible. It was a cheap shot, and Lohan was not having it.
Eventually, the lawsuit reached an end.
How The Lawsuit Played Out
via instar
A settlement was reached later in 2010, though no major details were ever leaked.
Lohan’s mom, Dina, publicly stated that she was happy with the settlement.
E*Trade issued their own statement.
“With the case now withdrawn, we are pleased to have the matter behind us,” the said.
Per Us Weekly, around that same time, Lohan was dealing with another legal matter, which involved a failed drug test. The offense led to an arrest warrant being issued.
“Substance abuse is a disease, which unfortunately doesn’t go away over night. I am working hard to overcome it and am taking positive steps forward every day,” Lohan penned on social media.
Though we will likely never know how much Lohan made from the lawsuit, we can’t help but feel bad for her. A major company taking a cheapshot during the Super Bowl was probably not on her list of things to deal with during that time in her life.
