Giannis suing mattress maker for defective product, image use

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Giannis Antetokounmpo suing mattress maker for defective product, image use

By Jason Clinkscales | Last updated 10/18/23

Sleep is a serious matter for everyone, which could be why a former NBA MVP is taking to the courts about where he rests his body.

Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is suing mattress company Maree for a full refund of his money after an order was delivered with what he claimed to be a defective product.

He is also pursuing litigation as the company used a photo of him on social media as if he was a paid endorser. (The image was since taken down from Instagram.)

Sportico's Michael McMann details the crux of the suit as the star forward claims that the delivery of the product fell way short of expectations:

"Antetokounmpo argues he only received 11 of 43 total items he purchased as part of the four beds, and what he received was deficient and unusable. For example, one bed’s headboard “lacked the necessary fittings to connect properly with the rest of the bed frame.”

Another bed showed torn fabric and featured the wrong screws, making the bed slats not fit properly. Antetokounmpo and his partner, Mariah Riddlesprigger, say they called the company’s CEO and founder, Erica Gleaton (who is also a named defendant), at least 20 times to no avail. As Antetokounmpo tells it, Gleaton became “irresponsive.”"

McMann also noted that Antetokounmpo is one of the more litigious active athletes in the sports world, with dozens of lawsuits filed as they relate to his image and branding. Those kinds of lawsuits aren't uncommon and they can have a significant impact on how a sports figure approaches how he, she or they manage their likeness throughout their careers.

For example, Tom Brady became notoriously particular about licensing his name after suing General Motors in 2005 when the company used his likeness for a Super Bowl ad without his permission.

For better or worse, Maree is about to learn some hard lessons not only how serious Antetokounmpo is about his brand but how serious he is about his sleep.

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