Meena Harris, the niece of Vice President Kamala Harris, has reportedly been told to stop using her famous aunt to boost her brand.
Meena, a Harvard graduated lawyer and social media star, started a company four years ago called ‘Phenomenal’ — where she sells t-shirts with socially relevant messages. Since her aunt’s appointment to The White House, she has been sharing photographs across her social media of the two of them.
Meena’s products have been on the market many months before Harris was elected vice president.
Biden’s attorneys are reported to have sent her a letter, demanding that she refrain from using Kamala’s likeness. Transition ethics lawyers told her she had the approval to sell out of the products associated with the vice president but not restock them, per Politico.
“Some things can’t be undone,” a White House official told The LATimes. “That being said: Behavior needs to change.”
Sabrina Singh, a spokeswoman for the vice president, told the publication: “It’s the White House’s policy that the vice president’s name should not be used in connection with any commercial activities that could reasonably be understood to imply an endorsement or support.”
The cover of the rising star’s 2020 children’s book, “Kamala and Maya’s Big Idea,” was adorned with her aunt’s face and name. Phenomenal Woman previously sold swimsuits inspired by the vice president as well as sweaters “Vice President Aunty” embellished on the front.
“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 said in a statement. “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.”
Who can blame her for being proud of her history-making auntie?
