Iowa Strip Clubs Sued Over Unauthorized Use of Strippers Images
It didn’t take long for me to get back on the beat to find trending stories in the sex industry! While it’s not my favorite place to look for blog topics, strip clubs just have an aura of trouble around them whether they are low end, high end, or anything in between. Last week I talked about how a man was arrested after being in a fight with his wife after bringing home a stripper just north of me in Florida, and today I am reporting on how some strippers are upset with how some Iowa Strip Clubs are using their images in marketing material.
Not shocking to most people who follow me I suppose, I have experience with visiting Iowa and know some of the clubs first hand, so naturally, I was excited when I saw something that was relatable to me.
Strippers File Lawsuit Against Iowa Strip Clubs
According to a story published in The Gazette, many “professional models” (is there a semi-pro model?) are suing a total of nine strip clubs in Iowa alleging that they weren’t authorized to use images of their bodies and faces in advertisements published online.
BMK Law Firm, located in Pella, Iowa, and the Aronowitz Law Firm of Royal Oak, Michigan, are representing the women in federally filed lawsuits against nine clubs. Each suit alleges the same facts by the plaintiffs, who were from the US, Colombia, Great Britain, and Ireland.
The full list of clubs being sued is as follows:
- New Shakers in rural Jackson County
- The Risque Gentlemen’s Club in Waterloo
- Beach Girls in West Des Moines
- Big Earl’s Goldmine in Des Moines
- The Lumberyard in Des Moines
- The Lumberyard 2 in Cedar Rapids
- The Minx Show Palace in Des Moines
- Daisy Dooks in Davenport
- Flirts in Waterloo
Let me just say that there’s a lot of things I can relate to in what I just typed. For starters, Colombian strippers. They were my kryptonite early in my days in South Florida. Second off, I have been to the Lumberyard, which should be on everyone’s bucket list. In fact, one of my bro’s who was with me on the trip found a naughty ebony stripper and laid his wood in her back in a seedy hotel room. You have to bring your own beer to this one, which I simply can’t make up! You can verify that on TUSCL if you don’t believe me.
Big Earl’s was on my list to visit way back when, but tragically when I was there the owner was shot and killed outside the place. It’s a horrific story that hasn’t been yet solved. You can read about it here. It’s good to see Big Earl’s legacy is being carried on and the club is open here 26 years later, I’m sure the hard working farm boys in Iowa are mining the crap out of the vagina in there. The place is massive, and something that should be on every man’s strip club bucket list.
Each and every lawsuit was filed the same day in U.S. District Court seeks compensation in addition to damages and an injunction against the owners of each club.
Flirts has the largest number of plaintiffs filing against them. There are 16 “professional models” alleging that they hadn’t ever been at this club and they have zero affiliation with the club. The strip club has featured their likeness on social media to promote the club multiple times.
They continue by alleging that the Facebook page maintained by Flirts suggests that these women have performed at or agreed to appear at the club. The women claim that they wouldn’t promote a strip club because of the potential damage to their brands and reputations.
Some of the photos have the women undressed, and this, in their own words, suggests that they “approve of the full or partially nude live entertainment activities.”
Suggest away, I fully approve of strip clubs offering full or partially nude women. You can put that as a rap on my reputation!
The lawsuit states that Flirts advertises itself as “Cedar Valley’s Hottest Gentlemen’s Club.” The club has nude and partially nude women and it serves alcohol.
The Plaintiffs suggest that the advertisements by Flirts Strip club in Iowa are damaging and they go on to state that it insinuates they approve of the activities.
Again, I APPROVE.
The models also claim that the club is “competing with the plaintiffs over the very same consumer attention that contributes to the economic value of the plaintiffs’ images.”
I could continue to post parts of the article, but what it all boils down to is this:
These women feel that it’s degrading to them that the club used their images without asking. They are saying it’s hurting their social media following and using their attractiveness and fame (those are their words, LOL) and they want to get paid.
I can side with them in that I wouldn’t want people using my likeness for profit, and something needs to be done here, but I think this is a big cash grab by the lawyers and women. I had a hunch that these “models” are instagram wannabe influencers, but if you scroll down, I found out otherwise!
Here is a list of Plaintiffs that I could dig up:
- Rosie Roff of the United Kingdom
- Melanie Iglesias, a model from New York
- Sandra Valencia of Colombia
- Alana Souza and Jamillette Gaxiola, from Nevada
- Tiffany Toth Gray, Ursula Mayes, Rosa Acosta, Megan Daniels, Katarina Van Derham, Lina Posada, Jesse Golden, Dessie Mitcheson, Jessica Hinton, Julianne Klaren and Emily Sears – all from California.
Okay, so I went down a rabbit hole and have to say I wasn’t expecting this.
Sandra Valencia Colombian Model
Jamillette Gaxiola Model
Okay, this one is legit AF. And with a name like that it wasn’t hard to verify that.
Rosie Roff Model
A wiki entry says she has been in Maxim and FHM.
Melanie Iglesias New York Model
Eh, not really sure if this is what I’d call a “model” and she doesn’t have much of a following on Instagram but never know.
So far, no word back from the club owners in response to the allegations.
