Ten Models Sue Popular Philly Nightclub Over Sexy Photos

Some of the models who have filed a lawsuit against the nightclub at Tierra Colombiana in Philadelphia (photos via court exhibits/fair use)

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Ten Models Sue Tierra Colombiana’s Philadelphia Nightclub Over Sexy Photos

Claudia Sampedro has never been to the popular Latin nightclub at Philadelphia’s Tierra Colombiana restaurant. The Cuban-born professional model now lives in Miami with her husband — former NFL star Julius Peppers — and their kids. And it’s fair to say she was completely unaware that the nightclub was using sexy images of her in social media advertisements

But Sampedro isn’t the only one. She and nine other professional models now all allege in a just-filed federal lawsuit that the nightclub at Tierra Colombiana has been rampantly and routinely swiping photos of them and using those photos in advertisements for its dance parties and other events. You can see some of those ads in the collage above.

The other models include the following: Dessie Pilek, a.k.a. Dessie Mitcheson, who has worked for brands as varied as Playboy Intimates and Crest and who once won the Maxim “Hometown Hotties” contest; Jamillette Gaxiola, a former Miss Cuba who has worked for Reebok, Saks, and MAC Cosmetics and is now an on-air personality for the UFC; Janet Guzman, whom the lawsuit describes as a “social media star” who has more than two million followers on Instagram; lingerie and swimwear model Lina Posada; Colombian-born model Paola Caña, who has appeared on the cover of Playboy Mexico; Rachel Mortenson, who graced two covers of Playboy in the same year and is a leading model for Guess Jeans; ballet dancer turned model Rosa Acosta; L.A.-based influencer/model Stephanie Rao; and runway and billboard model Tiffany Keller.

In all cases, argues the lawsuit, Tierra Colombiana used photos of the model to promote the nightclub’s brand, without permission of the models.

“Defendants knowingly, and without the prior consent of any of the plaintiffs, invaded plaintiffs’ privacy by using plaintiffs’ images for commercial purposes in order to promote Tierra’s image by and through various marketing and promotional mediums including… Tierra’s website, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram,” reads the suit. “Defendants showcased plaintiffs’ images… to create the false impression that plaintiffs worked at Tierra’s, endorsed, promoted or sponsored same…”

The suit accuses Tierra Colombiana of false association, violating the women’s right to privacy, false advertising, unauthorized use of name or likeness, and defamation, among other offenses. (If you’re wondering about that defamation claim, the women argue that the club falsely implies that they work for or endorse the nightclub and that this damages their reputation with prospective clients.)

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and asks the court to issue an order enjoining the club from using their photos. Some of the models have filed similar suits elsewhere in the country.

Representatives of Tierra Colombiana did not reply to a request for comment.

About United HealthCare CEO Murder Suspect Luigi Mangione…

I don’t know why, but I just knew deep down in my soul soon after last week’s brazen murder of United HealthCare’s CEO that this case would somehow wind its way through Philadelphia. And, sure enough, that’s just what has happened.

As you no doubt know by now, police arrested Luigi Mangione in Altoona on Monday. And “Luigi Mangione” quickly became the most searched term on Google for the day.

And had you done that search, as we did, you would have immediately learned that he went to Penn. (The Daily Pennsylvanian wants your tips about his time at the Ivy.) It sounds like he also wound up in Philadelphia after the murder for a brief period of time.

Independence Blue Cross Poofs Executive Bios and Photos After United HealthCare CEO Murder

It’s no secret that people aren’t big fans of insurance companies. But I didn’t realize how much hatred and vitriol there was exactly until people began cheering on the murder of United HealthCare’s CEO. I read the other day that some insurance companies were wiping their executive staff photos and bios from their websites, which seems like not so silly a thing to do. When I checked over the weekend, Philly-headquartered Independence Blue Cross had not touched that part of their website. But sometime between then and today, they deleted the entire page.

By the Numbers

6221: Street number on Osage Avenue of the house where the MOVE bombing occurred in 1985. And now, MOVE wants to take possession of the property so it can erect a memorial.

15: Number of new DiBruno Bros. stores that could be in the company’s future. You can thank Jeff Brown. Yes, that guy who poorly ran for mayor.

12: Number of weed shops now in Atlantic City, where they now outnumber casinos.

Local Talent

Congrats to local Hollywood talents Quinta Brunson and Colman Domingo on their Golden Globe nominations! Brunson’s nomination is for best actress in a TV comedy, Domingo’s for his performance in Sing Sing. Brunson can also take credit for Abbott Elementary‘s nomination for best TV comedy, since the show is her brainchild.