Gymshark hit with $1M lawsuit after axing influencer’s deal over pro-Israel posts

Gymshark is facing a $1m (£775,500) lawsuit from American influencer Alix Earle, who claims the British sportswear brand unfairly terminated a sponsorship deal following backlash over her social media posts.

Earle, who boasts seven million TikTok followers and four million on Instagram, alleges that the gymwear giant greed to pay her $1 million for a series of promotional posts, a photoshoot, and an event appearance.

However, she claims the deal was abruptly scrapped after her pro-Israel stance on social media drew criticism.

The allegations, which have been filed in the High Court, centre around a since-deleted Instagram post in which Earle expressed solidarity with Israel.

Following the post, Gymshark executives reportedly received negative reactions to their partnership with the influencer, with some social media users accusing her of being a “Zionist” and questioning the brand’s decision to work with her.

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Earle argues that Gymshark’s reasoning for ending the partnership is not valid, as her views had been public before the agreement was made.

Meanwhile, the Solihull-based activewear giant is understood to deny that a formal contract was ever signed.

Founded in 2012 by Ben Francis, Gymshark has built its brand on partnerships with fitness influencers, a strategy that helped propel its rapid global growth.

The company, valued at over £1 billion, has expanded significantly in recent years, including plans to open its first US flagship store in New York this year.

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