French model turned First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy is suing fashion label Pardon for distributing tote bags featuring her naked image.
Ten thousand of the racy canvas shoppers were snapped up for the bargain price of three euros. They feature the nude image of the Carla next to a caption reading “My guy should have bought Pardon!”
“Carla Bruni-Sarkozy has exclusive and absolute rights over her image,” said her lawyer. “We are going to ask for 125,000 euros in damages for the sale of this article which constitutes a moral and matrimonial attack.”
If she wins, the philanthropic First Lady plans to donate the princely sum to charity.
Pardon is sticking by their use of the image, with founder Peter Mertes commenting that Carla is “a public woman – you find photos of her everywhere.”
This isn’t the first time the label has courted controversy. Last year it upset French church leaders by selling sexy underwear sporting an image of the Virgin Mary.
