Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS Hit with New Lawsuit because the Model’s Messy 12 months Will get Even Messier

Kim Kardashian constructed SKIMS right into a billion-dollar shapewear empire by promoting one very particular fantasy. All the things is glossy, polished, completely fitted, and in some way at all times underneath management. Which is why 2026 is popping into a reasonably brutal 12 months for the model’s picture, as a result of the paperwork piling up round SKIMS currently shouldn’t be the glamorous form.

It’s lawsuits, penalties, wage complaints, and court docket filings, and the entire thing is beginning to chip away on the hyper-curated “we’ve received this dealt with” vibe the corporate has spent years promoting on-line.

Between a former worker accusing the corporate of labor violations, New Jersey regulators slapping the model over allegedly charging taxes it shouldn’t have charged, and a designer claiming SKIMS hijacked her enterprise identify, the model all of the sudden has legal professionals connected to virtually each headline. And truthfully, for a corporation constructed on precision and management, the timing couldn’t be messier.

So Who Is David Knight, and What Is He Claiming?

The most recent authorized headache comes from former SKIMS worker David Knight, who filed a lawsuit in California, accusing the corporate of a number of wage and labor violations throughout his quick tenure there between October and December 2025.

In accordance with the complaint reported by TMZ, Knight says he and different workers had been allegedly denied extra time pay regardless of working greater than eight hours a day and greater than 40 hours per week. He additionally claims staff weren’t given legally required meal and relaxation breaks, weren’t correctly paid minimal wage for all hours labored, and didn’t obtain all wages owed after leaving the corporate.

And right here is the half that immediately raises the stakes. Knight is not only suing over his personal expertise. He’s in search of class-action standing, which means he believes these points affected a wider group of SKIMS workers throughout California. So, what may have been dismissed because the criticism of 1 disgruntled former employee turns into a probably a lot bigger office difficulty.

Kim Kardashian shouldn’t be personally named within the lawsuit, however let’s be actual, her identify is glued to SKIMS at this level. If the corporate developments, she developments proper together with it, whether or not the headline is about shapewear drops or court docket paperwork.

What SKIMS Had To Say (And They Did Not Maintain Again)

SKIMS responded to the lawsuit with a press release that virtually seemed like somebody had slammed a designer purse onto a convention desk earlier than talking. In a press release to TMZ, an organization consultant flatly denied the allegations and known as the lawsuit “a boilerplate submitting” recycled by plaintiffs’ corporations throughout California in quest of quick settlements. Principally, SKIMS seemed on the criticism and stated, “Yeah, we’re not folding over this one.”

The corporate doubled down, insisting it has “little interest in settling claims with out advantage” and that it has at all times complied with California wage-and-hour legal guidelines.

Should you ask me, that could be a approach sharper response than the same old celeb model PR language, the place firms usually conceal behind imprecise “we take these issues severely” statements whereas quietly praying the web strikes on. SKIMS got here out swinging. Whether or not that confidence ages superbly or horribly is anybody’s guess, because the case is model new and no ruling has been made.

Wait, There Is Extra. The New Jersey Tax Drama

Earlier than the wage lawsuit even hit headlines, SKIMS had already spent a part of the 12 months coping with a very completely different legal mess in New Jersey. And truthfully, this one caught individuals off guard as a result of it sounds just like the form of drawback that comes from anyone clicking the incorrect button after which in some way by no means fixing it for 5 straight years.

According to New Jersey regulators, SKIMS improperly charged gross sales tax on clothes purchases made within the state between 2019 and 2024, though clothes is mostly tax-exempt there.

That allegedly meant clients had been quietly paying a 6.625% tax they legally shouldn’t have been charged within the first place. New Jersey’s legal professional normal described the observe as an “unconscionable enterprise observe,” which is about as delicate as getting dragged in all caps on TikTok.

In January 2026, SKIMS agreed to pay a $200,000 civil penalty and dedicated to fixing its programs and refunding affected clients. The corporate reportedly already despatched the collected taxes to the state and had began issuing refunds earlier than the settlement turned public. Nonetheless, 5 years is a very long time for a “checkout error” to maintain casually accumulating cash from buyers.

And Then There Is the Designer Who Says SKIMS Stole Her Title

Simply when the tax difficulty had settled down, one other lawsuit surfaced, claiming one thing straight out of the brutal world of vogue branding. New York designer Denise Cesare filed a federal lawsuit towards SKIMS in March 2026 over the corporate’s wildly well-liked “Fits Everybody” collection. In accordance with Cesare, the phrase belongs to her model, “Suits Everyone To A T,” which she says she has owned rights to for practically a decade.

The lawsuit claims SKIMS’ use of “Suits Everyone” precipitated main confusion and severely broken her enterprise. In truth, the criticism reportedly says the gathering actually destroyed her enterprise, which is about as direct as lawsuits get.

Cesare is asking the court docket to cease SKIMS from utilizing the identify fully, together with damages based mostly on income from the gathering and reimbursement of authorized charges. She additionally claims she repeatedly warned each SKIMS and Kim Kardashian about her trademark rights earlier than taking issues to federal court docket. Thus far, neither Kardashian nor SKIMS has publicly responded to this particular case.

And Over on the Jenner Home, the Lawsuits Are Stacking Up, Too

The authorized drama shouldn’t be stopping with Kim. Kylie Jenner has additionally been coping with lawsuits from former family workers, and the timing is making the whole Kardashian-Jenner enterprise universe look unusually chaotic.

In April and Might 2026, two former housekeepers filed separate lawsuits alleging harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and wage violations associated to work carried out inside Jenner’s house.

The first lawsuit was filed by a former housekeeper, Angelica Vazquez, alleging harassment, discrimination, violence, and wrongful termination whereas working in Jenner’s family. That criticism consists of claims of emotional misery, as she developed “anxiousness, extreme stress, and signs per post-traumatic stress dysfunction.”

The second lawsuit got here from Juana Delgado Soto, who sued Jenner, the founding father of Kylie Jenner Inc., and several other different events, together with family workers supervisors and repair firms Tri Star Companies and La Maison Household Companies. Her criticism consists of allegations involving racial discrimination, harassment, unpaid wages, and failures to stop or tackle office considerations.

Soto additionally reportedly claims she handed Kylie Jenner a private letter detailing her grievances earlier than pursuing authorized motion, a element that, if correct, makes the scenario significantly extra sophisticated for the Jenner aspect.

Put all these lawsuits collectively, and so they create a reasonably uncomfortable sample for companies which have spent years promoting perfection as a part of their model bundle.

What This All Provides Up To

Individually, each case nonetheless has to play out in court docket, and none of those allegations have been absolutely confirmed. However taken collectively, the headlines are beginning to pile up in a approach celeb manufacturers completely hate.

Now, these usually are not messy red-carpet moments or social media controversies that individuals overlook in 48 hours. These are allegations tied to taxes, worker remedy, labor legal guidelines, and enterprise practices that have a tendency to stay round for much longer than a nasty Instagram remark part.

And truthfully, that’s the place issues get difficult for SKIMS. The model turned enormous by convincing individuals it had mastered management, polish, and perfection all the way down to the tiniest element. Courtroom filings don’t care about aesthetic branding. They drag all the pieces into public view, receipts and all.