Kim Kardashian West sues doctor over ‘Vampire Facial’

Reality TV star and businesswoman Kim Kardashian West  is suing an Alabama doctor over claims he wrongly used her image to promote a medical procedure called a “Vampire Facial.”

West filed suit this week in Los Angeles against Dr. Charles Runels of coastal Fairhope, Alabama. The suit claims Runels misused West’s image in promotional materials after she posted a photo of herself on social media showing the results of a “Vampire Facial.”

West, a reality TV star and successful businesswoman who has a number of beauty and lifestyle enterprises and millions of followers on social media,  asked a federal judge to bar Runels from using her name or photo and to make him and any other doctors who benefited pay her profits.

Runels, 59, said in a telephone interview Wednesday that West wrongly used his trademarked name for a medical procedure to promote herself. He called the lawsuit “disappointing.”

“We’re trying to do good medicine. The last thing we want to do is spend millions of dollars arguing with a celebrity,” he said.

The cosmetic procedure involves drawing a patient’s blood, spinning it in a centrifuge and then injecting small amounts under the skin using multiple, small needles, Runels’ website says, and blood also is applied topically on the skin.

Runels, who said he developed the procedure and got a trademark for the “Vampire” name, said about 2,300 physicians in 50 countries are licensed to perform the procedure. West underwent the procedure from an associated doctor in Miami in 2013 before posting a photo of herself online with blood on her face, he said.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Crocs to Donate 50,000 Pairs of Classic Clogs to UNICEF

In partnership with UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and Crocs Global Brand Ambassador Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Crocs recently donated 25,000 pairs of Classic Clogs to underserved school children in Belize through UNICEF. This is the first of two donations to be made to this region through this partnership. A total of 50,000 pairs will ultimately be donated over the next year.

Recently, Crocs announced award-winning actor, activist, and entrepreneur Priyanka Chopra Jonas would serve as a global brand ambassador for its 2020 “Come As You Are” marketing campaign. A special element of the partnership is this collaboration to jointly support UNICEF.

“At Crocs, we believe being comfortable in your own shoes is a first step to accessing quality education,” said Heidi Cooley, Vice President of Global Marketing, Crocs. “With this donation, we hope to deliver shoes to more than half of the student population attending primary and secondary school classes in Belize, while reducing the financial burden for their families.”

“As a global ambassador for UNICEF, I’m dedicated to connecting organizations that together can have a large and positive impact on children around the world,” said Priyanka Chopra Jonas. “Working with Crocs to distribute more than 50,000 pairs of their Classic Clogs will have a tremendous impact on school-age children in Belize, reducing barriers to education, and easing social and peer-related stressors that come with not having basic everyday resources that many take for granted.”