Sarah Michelle Gellar almost had her acting career cut short when McDonald’s sued her at only 5 years old.
It is legal to mention other brands in advertising, but there are still strict rules surrounding what can and cannot be said. Burger King took a risk and explicitly mentioned their competitor, McDonald’s, in a TV advert starring Sarah Michelle Gellar.
The advert was a simple one, but it led to Gellar being sued. As a 5-year-old, she sat in front of a Burger King, asking the audience, “Do I look 20 percent smaller to you? I must to McDonald’s.” She then went on to explain that, compared to a BK, McDonald’s burgers use 20% less meat.
“Luckily, I know the perfect way to show McDonald’s how I feel. I go to Burger King,” she finished. But McDonald’s didn’t like that at all, and sued Sarah Michell Gellar, Burger King, and the advertising agency.
“I was the first person to say another competitor’s name in a job, and so McDonald’s turned around and sued the advertising agency,” she explained to Buzzfeed. According to the lawsuit, the adverts were false, deceptive, disparaging, unfair, and misleading.
Banned From Burger Restaurant
As a result, Sarah Michelle Gellar was also banned from McDonald’s as a stipulation of being sued. “Banned is a strong word,” she told the Sunday Express in 2004. “I wasn’t allowed to eat there. It was tough because, when you’re a little kid, McDonald’s is where all your friends have their birthday parties, so I missed out on a lot of apple pies.”
McDonald’s ego was bruised by five-year-old Sarah Michelle Gellar, so they sued the child. Very cool. Thankfully, it didn’t have too much effect on her career. She went on to star in one of the greatest vampire TV series ever aired, as well as numerous other roles.
The ban has been dropped now, and she’s welcome to eat in the fast food outlet. However, her years as a child of abstention have probably done her a world of good. Her heart and health will thank the lawsuit as she gets older.