Octavia Spencer wins case against weight loss firm over wrongful termination

Sensa Products ended the actress’ contract in August

Octavia Spencer at a Paradise film press conference in Los Angeles (Startraks Photo/REX) (Startraks Photo/REX)

Octavia Spencer has won a court ruling over wrongful termination of her contract with a weight loss firm.

The actress sued Sensa Products in August after the company ended its endorsement deal over her use of the hashtag #spon for “sponsored” tweets that promoted the products. The company - which refused to pay Spencer the outstanding $700,000 of her agreed fee - is said to have been dissatisfied with the results of the campaign and blamed the hashtag, she claimed.

Spencer alleged that it wasn’t in her contract to have tweets pre-approved or to use the hashtag. She also said that she lost the 20 pounds agreed in the contract and allowed the company to use before and after photos of her, despite her reluctance.

Sensa Products said in counter-claims that Spencer had allegedly breached her contract and that the pre-approved tweets and photos had been part of the deal. The company then went insolvent.

Judge Michael Stern granted Spencer a default verdict and ordered Sensa to pay the actor $940,000.

She is unlikely to receive the sum given the firm’s financial situation, but she is said to be pleased with the outcome nonetheless.

“This was always about principle for our client, Ms Spencer,” lawyer Bryan Freedman of Freedman & Taitelman, told The Hollywood Reporter. “I am very proud of Octavia’s will to fight.”