“These Donald Judd tables are really amazing and totally blend in with the seats,” she says before pulling out a chair to show viewers how seamlessly the seats slot into the table. Judd, who died in 1994, was a minimalist artist renowned for thoughtfully using space.
“They’re so easy,” Kardashian adds, as she tucks the chair back in.
The Judd Foundation, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to protecting the late designer’s work and legacy, is now suing the reality TV star and California-based Clements Design. In its lawsuit, filed Wednesday, the foundation alleges that Clements Design sold Kardashian “knockoff versions” of Judd’s “La Mansana Table,” which retails for $90,000, and “Chair 84,” which retails for $9,000.
“The tables and chairs shown in the Kardashian Video are not authentic DONALD JUDD pieces,” the lawsuit says, adding that the table and chairs are “two of Mr. Judd’s most well-known designs.”
While the table and chairs at the center of the lawsuit are separate designs, they were created to fit together as one piece with “harmony and integration,” the lawsuit notes.
Kardashian’s video has been made private since the suit was filed, although several media outlets are still running clips of it. The video had been viewed more than 3.7 million times before it was taken down, according to the lawsuit.
The foundation claims that it tried to resolve the matter “amicably” with both parties “for several months” but that no attempt was made by either party to correct the “misstatements” or destroy “the fake furniture.”
Clements Design said in a statement that it was “blindsided” by the lawsuit and that the Judd Foundation’s claims had “absolutely no merit.”
“This issue was brought to our attention over a year ago,” the statement said. “We communicated with the Judd Foundation’s counsel and explained to them in no uncertain terms that there were obvious key differences between the tables and chairs in Kim’s office and the Judd Foundation’s tables and chairs.”
A representative for Kardashian referred to that statement when asked for comment.
The lawsuit cited what it described as a design proposal by Clements Design in 2020 that offered to provide a dining table and chairs “in the Style of Donald Judd.”
It also said the foundation contacted Kardashian’s publicist when it learned about the video. The publicist allegedly apologized and, according to the lawsuit, said, “We did further research and have learned unfortunately that the table and chairs are not from Donald Judd.” The publicist offered to “update the video caption with a retraction” and suggested Kardashian could make a social media post to promote the foundation, the lawsuit said.
The foundation, however, wanted Kardashian to edit the video and issue a statement making clear the furniture was not authentic. It offered to replace the Kardashian tables and chairs with authentic Judd pieces at a discount, the lawsuit said, adding that the “Judd Foundation last spoke with Ms. Kardashian’s associates in August 2023, to no avail.”
Rainer Judd, president of the foundation and daughter of the late artist, said in a statement that the furniture in the video is “irrefutably fake.”
“Donald Judd’s furniture is an integral part of his legacy,” she said, adding that “the existence of inauthentic furniture undermines the integrity of his original work.”
Authentic Judd designs are available “for custom order,” according to the artist’s official website. The lawsuit states that all authentic Judd furniture “is sold under and stamped with the federally registered” Judd trademark.
If Kardashian’s items turn out to be knockoffs, she wouldn’t be the only celebrity with designer dupes. Architectural Digest originally wrote in 2022 that a hanging wire sculpture in Gwyneth Paltrow’s home in Montecito, Calif., was made by Ruth Asawa. But the real creator was D’lisa Creager, who, according to her website, learned her wire looping technique from Asawa’s daughter. The publication later issued a correction.
Celebrities apparently wear fake designer apparel sometimes, too, according to the Instagram account therealbadfashions, which spotted a reality television star in a possibly fake Chanel blouse and another showing off what could be counterfeit bags in her closet.
Samantha Chery contributed to this report.