Britney Sues Over Roller Skating Deal

By Stephen M. Silverman

Thursday December 26, 2002 01:00 AM EST

Britney Spears probably didn't ask for a pair of skates for Christmas.

The pop princess, 21, has sued the Los Angeles-based footwear company Skechers USA, Inc., for more than $1.5 million, claiming that it used her to plug its own roller-skate line rather than some skates that she had designed, reports Reuters.

Skechers executives could not be reached for comment.

According to the suit filed Monday in U.S. District Court in L.A., Skechers hired Spears on Sept. 1, 2001 to endorse its products, with the contract stipulating that she would receive a bonus royalty payment should her employment help boost sales significantly.

Her suit claims that she did help sales this year, but that she was only partially compensated for it, and that her deal to sell Britney Brand skates and skating accessories unraveled due to Skechers' inability to find a manufacturer and a means to market her line.

The suit similarly claims that Skechers reneged on a written agreement to sponsor her 2001/2002 concert tour.

"Skechers USA used the lure of association with Ms. Spears to benefit sales of their own branded products and failed to honor basic agreements with Britney Brands," attorney Jonathan Solish wrote in his papers to the court.