Influencer Alix Earle Sues Gymshark Over Sponsorship Dispute

SYDNEY, Australia — American influencer Alix Earle has filed a lawsuit against the British fitness brand Gymshark, claiming the company terminated their sponsorship agreement due to backlash over her pro-Israel social media postings. The lawsuit, filed in the High Court, states that Gymshark owes Earle $1 million for the early termination of their contract.

The dispute reportedly stems from comments made by Earle in late 2023, following the violent Hamas-led attacks against Israel on October 7. In her defense, Earle shared a post on Instagram saying, “Now and always, we stand with Israel.” This prompted a wave of negative comments on social media, with some users accusing her of holding a “Zionist” viewpoint.

Gymshark executives publicly condemned the negative responses aimed at Earle, which included comments such as “Why do you have a Zionist in your ad, answer quickly?” Following this backlash, Gymshark allegedly ended the sponsorship early, which required Earle to produce three TikTok videos and four Instagram posts featuring the brand.

According to the documents filed in court, Earle argues that her previous posts supporting Israel were made public before entering into the agreement and should not have been grounds for termination. Her suit claims that Gymshark’s complaints lacked validity.

“My TikTok and Instagram posts were available before the deal with Gymshark was agreed upon, so their claims don’t hold up,” Earle stated in her filing.

Initially reported by the Telegraph earlier this week, Earle’s lawsuit includes claims that Gymshark faced significant backlash due to their association with her. The influencer implied that any issues raised by the company following these criticisms were unjustified, as she was transparent about her views prior to their partnership.

Gymshark, founded in 2012 by Ben Francis, has grown into a $1.3 billion fitness apparel company known for its collaborations with social media influencers. While Earle has had a successful career since rising to fame in 2020 with her makeup and fashion videos, this lawsuit marks a unique turn in her professional path.

The controversy surrounding her statements has not only impacted her career but also led to her podcast being dropped from Alex Cooper’s Unwell Network. In a follow-up post amid the backlash against her Israel support, Earle expressed concern for global issues, stating she was “praying for our broken world right now.”

As of now, Gymshark has denied the existence of any signed sponsorship agreement with Earle and has not yet commented on the lawsuit.