The case, which has given way to much disagreement over marketing and distribution, pre-dates the now-popular trend of celebrity equity beauty deals.
A fundamental disagreement about branding is emerging from Parlux’s suit against Jay-Z’s company, S. Carter Enterprises.
Jay-Z appeared in court on Friday to testify in the case, which dates back to 2016, when Parlux Fragrances and its parent company, Perfumania Holdings Inc., sued the rapper and entrepreneur in New York state court. Parlux alleged it lost $18 million as a result of Jay-Z and his company pulling out of contractual obligations such as promotional appearances for his Gold Jay Z fragrance and the development of flanker scents.
The fragrance, Jay-Z’s first men’s scent, was scheduled to debut at Barneys New York in November 2013, WWD reported at the time. Donald Loftus, then-president of Parlux Ltd. and executive vice president of Perfumania Inc., who left Parlux in 2018, said at the time, “We are going to make a big noise. For the 30 days before Christmas, it will be impossible not to know he has a fragrance.”