With great influence comes great accountability.
Mark Geragos,ebony the Los Angeles-based power attorney behind the leading class action suit against organizers of the infamous Fyre Festival, now says his firm is investigating whether social media "influencers" who hyped the disastrous event could be dragged into the ever-expanding web of lawsuits.
SEE ALSO: After the Fyre Festival disaster, maybe don't trust models like Bella Hadid when they sell you things"One of the things we're toying with is going after social influencers who didn't comply with [Federal Trade Commission] stuff so, that may be the next wave," Geragos said late last week on The Adam Carolla Show, where he's a regular guest.
A handful of models and socialites posted to Instagram and Twitter about the festival -- or appeared in its bougier-than-thou promotional video -- reportedly in exchange for free tickets and other expected VIP treatment that, as we now know, never materialized.
Geragos didn't name names, but by now we've all seen the posts from a number of potential targets, including Hailey Rhode Baldwin, Bella Hadid, Elsa Hosk, Amanda Riley and Emily Ratajkowski.
@rose_bertram: "Make sure to get your tickets for @fyrefestival 🤗weekend two still available! #fyrefestival". #haileybaldwin #bellahadid #rosebertram #HaileyUpdates
According to Geragos, they didn't make it clear that they were being compensated for their endorsement -- and that's where he sees an opening.
"Social influencers ... end up getting paid to hype an event; but if you're doing that, there's FTC rules as to what you're supposed to disclose and not disclose. And I don't think anybody did. So I've looked at that and wondered if that's an area to go into but, we're still talking about that currently," he said.
Packing to leave my home in Los Angeles to head back east to my home and my @wilhelminamodels family in NYC for 24 hours before heading to FYRE festival in the Bahamas for the weekend. Los Angeles will always be my home and this is probably the hardest it's ever been to leave but I'll be back soon (hopefully) Until next time LA xo 💋 #LifeOfAmandaRiley
The notoriously bombastic Geragos could may just be saber-rattling; it's not as if Fyre was some great windfall for the influencers who believed the hype.
Riley (above) told The Hollywood Reporterthat she was offered an all-expenses-paid Fyre experience for "a couple of posts to help them with marketing," but it didn't work out that way -- she was stranded in Miami and never made it to the Bahamas.
"I got lucky since I didn't pay upfront for anything," she told THR. "Worst case, I have to buy one flight back to New York. ... I’m staying out of it because I’m kind of complete with it. My friends and family are safe. And I didn’t pay for anything. So I just don’t want anything to do with that company anymore or deal with these people."
If Geragos pushes ahead with this, however, she may have no choice.
Hey, at least she'll have plenty of company.
Waiting for the squad.. Here we come #fyrefestival
Gracias @jackiegallardophoto y @palomaromo_mua por éstas fotos tan lindas que me hicieron con ropa de @cleeostudio Definitivamente somos un gran equipo! Si les interesa ellas trabajan en #LosAngeles #SanDiego y #Mexico para shootings y maquillaje!!! Las adoro!!! SIGANLAS Gracias @mlo123 por todas las atenciones que tuviste con nosotras! 😘😘😘 #fyrefestival
Topics Instagram
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