A dispute over advertising rights has landed Roc Nation in court after two models claimed their work for Megan Thee Stallion’s swimwear brand was pushed far beyond what they agreed to.
According to Billboard, two New York based models who appeared in promotional images for Megan Thee Stallion’s Hot Girl Summer swimwear line have filed lawsuits against Roc Nation, alleging their photos were used on billboards without proper authorization. The claims stem from an April photoshoot tied to the brand’s rollout, which officially launched in May.
According to legal filings, models Janelle Delacruz and Tonoia Wade filed separate but nearly identical lawsuits on Tuesday, December 16. Both allege that Roc Nation, the Jay-Z founded company overseeing the campaign, hired them for the shoot under contracts that limited usage strictly to social media advertising.
Delacruz was reportedly paid $5,000 and Wade $8,700, along with agency fees. The complaints state that despite those terms, the images later appeared on billboards in Los Angeles and at least three other U.S. cities, expanding the reach well beyond what was contractually approved.
“Roc Nation had a limited license to use plaintiff’s likeness from the April 30, 2025, photoshoot. Defendant knew that it did not have plaintiff’s consent and did not make any attempt to notify plaintiff that plaintiff’s likeness would be used without plaintiff’s consent.”
The models argue Roc Nation was “unjustly enriched” by the expanded use of their images and are seeking unspecified damages for breach of contract, misappropriation of likeness, and false advertising.
Megan Thee Stallion, whose real name is Megan Pete, is not named as a defendant and is not accused of any wrongdoing in either lawsuit.
Bassil Hamideh, the attorney representing both models, addressed the filings in a statement to Billboard, saying he and his team “look forward to vindicating our clients’ rights and trying these cases.” He added, “We take models’ rights very seriously. We consider Roc Nation’s unlawful conduct against our clients to be egregious.”
As the case moves forward, the lawsuits raise fresh questions about consent, usage boundaries, and how major brands handle creative labor behind the scenes.
