White House instructs Meena to stop using her aunt Kamala Harris’ name to build social media brand
Meena Harris' brand has used the vice president's name and likeness to produce clothing, videos, designer headphones and children's books.
FollowAfter Kamala Harris was sworn in as the Vice President of the United States of America, her niece Meena Harris has become a centre of attention.
Vice President Kamala Harris's niece has reportedly been using her aunt's status to build her social media brand, and White House lawyers aren't happy about it, Fox News reports.
White House lawyers have reportedly told Kamala Harris' niece, Meena, to stop using her aunt's status to build her brand.
Meena Harris' brand has used the vice president's name and likeness to produce clothing, videos, designer headphones and children's books.
"Some things can't be undone," a White House official said, speaking of Harris' niece Meena Harris, 36, according to the Los Angeles Times.
"That being said, behaviour needs to change," the official continued. Meena is a lawyer-turned-entrepreneur who boasts more than 800,000 followers on Instagram. Her posts range in topic from political to personal.
Meena Harris has capitalised on the name, imagery, history and political slogans of Kamala Harris for her own benefit, as she has used them on her videos, clothes, books and designer headphones. She also runs a company that sells T-shirts and sweatshirts with messages on various causes, which are often worn by celebrities, photos of which are subsequently posted on Meena’s Instagram, TikTok and other social media accounts, along with her photos with Kamala Harris.
In a statement provided to Times through a public relations firm, Meena Harris defended her practices.
“Since the beginning of the campaign, I have insisted on upholding all legal and ethical standards and will continue to strictly adhere to the ethics rules of the Biden/Harris White House,” Meena Harris said.
“With regards to Phenomenal, it was always our plan to remove the likeness of the Vice President from the website before the Inauguration, and refrain from using her likeness in any products or campaigns going forward,” she added.
