Over the past several years, Rihanna has taken her musical talents and used it in becoming a well-recognized business person. She's launched her own fragrance, launched a line of beauty supplies and collaborated with numerous companies to deliver her own unique line of clothing and accessories. Most notably, she linked up with PUMA for her Fenty x Puma collection. The success of the line has undoubtedly created knock offs and bootlegs of the product. However, one of Rihanna's relatives has been part of the fake Fenty apparel floating around.
Barbados leading news outlet, Nation News, reports that Rihanna's uncle, Leroy Fitzgerald Brathwaite, is charged with selling knock-offs of Rihanna's Puma line. Funny enough, they say he was caught after Rihanna was visiting the country and had seen some knock-off's of her t-shirts and slippers being sold on Swan Street. She told a Puma representative who later flew in to Barbados to investigate the matter. After concluding they were indeed fake, the rep made a police report which led to Brathwaite's arrest. They say he had about $1000 in merchandise and one of Puma's officials from Curacao went to court to witness it all.
The charges Brathwaite faces are under the Fair Trading Comminssion's Consumer Protection Act. His lawyer is now combating the charges, saying they weren't laid properly and the case should ultimately be dismissed. He's pleaded not guilty to the charges. As of now, he's off on $1000 bail.
It's an interesting series of events. While just about anybody can sell knock-offs of anything, for Rihanna's uncle to be the one to be doing that must lead to awkward family gatherings. She's yet to make a public statement on the matter but it's likely that she won't be doing that anytime soon.
In other Rihanna related news, she's been on a streak to end 2017 on a high note. Yesterday, she was revealed as the face of Vogue Paris' three cover edition as well as the face of four issues of Dazed Magazine. Regardless of the Fenty x Puma drama, she's been killing it regardless.
