An eastern North Carolina strip club has agreed to pay a six-figure settlement to avoid a federal trial over stolen images.
Mistylou Investments, the parent company of Tobie’s Gentleman’s Club in Jacksonville, has reached a $340,000 settlement with a group of international models, former Playboy Playmates, and Baywatch star Carmen Electra.
The deal, submitted to a federal judge on Wednesday, successfully heads off a trial that was scheduled to begin in Elizabeth City.
The lawsuit, originally filed by 28 actresses and influencers in late 2023, accused the nightclub of copying their likenesses and altering their photos in more than 160 online advertisements over a nine-year period. The models argued the club used their photos without consent to falsely imply they worked there or endorsed the venue.
