Celebrity Endorsement Liability

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PGage

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Apr 24, 2020, 1:57:52 PM4/24/20

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MSNBC has been running a commercial with Tom Selleck for a reverse mortgage lender. Nothing could be more mundane about that, and the first X times I saw it I mostly ignored it. But today I happened to be paying attention when he said something like: “I know this company, I would not be doing this Ad if I thought they would hurt you. I trust them and I think you can too.”

It got me to wondering if adding that extra level of person endorsement in any way makes Selleck himself more personally liable if the company were to be found to be doing something illegal? If he’s just an actor getting paid to read a script than presumably he has no liability.

If he was putting himself on the line, it would make his endorsement all the more effective of course.

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Kevin M.

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Apr 24, 2020, 3:09:29 PM4/24/20

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Since it is assumed a celebrity appearing in an ad for a product is a de facto endorsement of that product, I doubt he’s more liable. That said, I’m sure the lawyers reviewed the wording before releasing the ad. There is more fine print in most ads that the old SNL Happy Fun Ball sketch is almost quaint by comparison.

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