'Hiccup Girl' sues over photos in ad

The family of St. Petersburg's "Hiccup Girl" filed a lawsuit Monday against a Pennsylvania hiccup cure company that it claims is using her image for profit.

Jennifer Mee, 17, and her family are suing Hic-Cup Ltd. for using her image and name on its Web site without their permission.

Mee burst into the spotlight in January 2007 with a case of hiccups that lasted nearly six weeks. Her parents contacted the St. Petersburg Times looking for expert help and got an onslaught of media attention and cure offers.

One of the cure offers came from Michele Ehlinger of Hic-Cup Ltd., who gave Mee a Hic-Cup, a stainless steel cup with a brass anode that is supposed to touch a nerve while the user drinks..

Mee's mother, Rachael Robidoux, said a representative of Hic-Cup came to her home offering a lucrative advertising deal if Mee would promote the cup.

"She asked us to take the cup with us on MJ in the Morning Show and the Today Show," Robidoux recalled. "But after that, we hadn't agreed to anything."

The family was compensated for those appearances, Robidoux said, but she later discovered Mee's picture was on a Web site for the Hic-Cup, something she said the family never agreed to.

"They even wrote us an official letter after [the Today Show] saying they didn't need her anymore," Robidoux said.

According to MSNBC.com, "The suit, filed in Bucks County Court, seeks more than $50,000."

Ehlinger released a statement that said the Web site featured only four "still frame captures" of TV shows Mee appeared on.

The statement also said, "Upon learning of the recent legal claim, and in spite of the sincere belief that the company had fairly paid for the right to use them, these small thumbnail pictures were immediately removed."

Comments on this article

by kayla	Aug 11, 2008 4:16 PM
jennifer is my sister so if u all have something bad to say dont say it at all she is not faking so get over it

by Frogstar	Aug 7, 2008 10:55 AM
I am happy to see the hic-cup peeople in trouble. They are arrogant idiots who have been so rude and abusive to me in the past, just because I published a better FREE hiccup cure on a few web sites they advertised on.

by David	Aug 7, 2008 10:55 AM
I always felt that Mee was faking it for the attention and money.

by Pedro	Aug 7, 2008 10:55 AM
I saw her on TV and I thought it was a total fake. She just wanted the attention. The hicups didn't sound real and she didn't hiccup in her sleep

by Randall	Aug 7, 2008 10:19 AM
Please learn to spell before attempting to publish your moronic ideas. It's difficult enough for us to try to figure out what it is you are trying to say with your 8th grade grammar without the total lack of spell-check,

by darryl	Aug 6, 2008 7:21 PM
someone seeked help for her,and she ended up on the news,and paper.not to mention the big shows.people pouring in Ideas to help her,and she gets upset,and sues someone for useing her photo.what a sad case she is.she didnt mind it when she was paid.

by Susan	Aug 6, 2008 7:16 PM
uhm, maybe they signed release papers without realizing it? If not, then what the company should do, is pay for schooling, not just had over cash...

by Nikki	Aug 6, 2008 7:12 PM
You guys need to read the article. She's suing because they used her image without her permission. She has every right to sue. She's not trying to get millions of dollars. Her lawsuit is appropriate.

by Amen Mary	Aug 6, 2008 3:31 PM
I'd like to do the same about my comment not showing up!

by mike	Aug 6, 2008 1:51 PM
sorry Tony, it's been done. try unstoppable flatuence.

by Mary	Aug 6, 2008 1:50 PM
Can I sue the paper for not posting my comment, which wasn't offensive, didn't use foul language or slandered anyone?

by TLWL	Aug 6, 2008 1:50 PM
I'm surprised she's not suing for a million dollars like everyone else does. that's the problem today everybody sues for everything. Gee-- I wonder how much of that 50,000 is for her lawyer? (Marianna) I'm sure he hopes she wins too!!

by savwa	Aug 6, 2008 1:50 PM
C'mon SPT there's gotta be somebody out there with an uncontrollable flatulence problem. Your readers are ready!

by Mike	Aug 6, 2008 1:46 PM
Get this girl out of the news. Her parents are ruining her life. Nobody cares. And, she took money for appearing on behalf of the company. If the Today Show re-runs that episode, is she going to sue NBC. Ugh.

by Jason	Aug 6, 2008 1:46 PM
Sounds like most of you wish you were her. Like she asked for the problem, leave the poor girl alone. Try being nice for a change.

by My 1st Name	Aug 6, 2008 1:41 PM
"Oh, look!!!! It's Mee!! It's Mee!!"

by Jay	Aug 6, 2008 12:24 PM
I Can't wait for that "Book and Movie" deal that's going to come next.

by I C itnow	Aug 6, 2008 11:31 AM
She should be glad someone is using her picture."She Was Nothing" before all these TV and radio shows. now she wants money...You could see that coming.

by rm	Aug 6, 2008 11:31 AM
Sounds like most you are all jealous of the girl. By the way, just how many of you that have posted, did it from work? That's stealing from your company. Are you any better than she...???

by M	Aug 6, 2008 11:31 AM
By greedy, I assume you all mean the corporation who stole her image?

by me	Aug 6, 2008 11:31 AM
Hey Mee's family we are all sick and tired of you in the news, drop your suit, shut up, go away, you greedy people.

by Bob	Aug 6, 2008 11:31 AM
Who here would hate to sit on a plane next to a girl that hiccups the whole way to new york?!?

by Marianna	Aug 6, 2008 10:58 AM
If they didn't have permission then they didn't have permission and she should be compensated. They didn't mind exploiting her when she needed help. I hope she wins more than the $50,000

by Dave	Aug 6, 2008 10:58 AM
Can I sue to get the 3 mins back I wasted reading this article

by Bob	Aug 6, 2008 10:58 AM
To all who are criticizing her, what you do if someone were using your image for commercial gain without your permission? 'Nuff said.

by Britt	Aug 6, 2008 8:57 AM
Honey-your 15 minutes of fame were over long before they ever started. YOU ARE ANNOYING! Please stay out of the news.

by Linda	Aug 6, 2008 8:57 AM
Anything for a few bucks!!

by JA	Aug 6, 2008 8:57 AM
looks like she will be hicupping all the way to the bank

by missy	Aug 6, 2008 8:57 AM
i hate sue happy people. you already made money off the stupidest gimmick i have ever heard of, let it go and move on

by Rick	Aug 6, 2008 8:57 AM
Aren't the 15 minutes of fame over, yet?

by Stephanie	Aug 6, 2008 8:57 AM
Greedy, Greedy, Greedy

by Tony	Aug 6, 2008 8:57 AM
Can I get millions just for hic-cupping?