A New York woman is suing pop juggernaut Rihanna, saying she contracted mouth herpes after using a free sample of RiRi Woo lipstick that was given to her by one of the singer’s sponsors at her concert in Brooklyn.
According to The Guardian, 28-year-old waitress Starkeema Greenidge stopped by a pop-up Mac Cosmetic store at the 7th May concert, where an employee applied Ri-Ri’s signature stain to her lips. But rather than a disposable sample, Greenidge claims the Mac clerk used the same stick on multiple patrons.
After finding a suspicious bump 2 days later, she paid a visit to her doctor, who confirmed that she had contracted oral herpes. Greenidge says the cold sore prevented her from working for 2 weeks and is seeking unspecified damages for “mental anguish and emotional distress”.
The lawsuit says that Mac should have known they were “exposing patrons to possible spread of disease” and Greenidge’s lawyers have called on Mac to start using disposable lipsticks or sanitised swabs at pop-up events like gigs. Neither Rihanna or Mac have commented on the case.
