Sweaty Betty ‘threatened to sue body positive personal trainer after stealing her “wear the damn shorts” slogan without crediting her’

A positive personal trainer has claimed that activewear brand Sweaty Betty is threatening to sue her after stealing her ‘wear the damn shorts’ slogan.

Georgina Cox, 34, accused Sweaty Betty of ‘silencing [her] by threats’ after she complained that the company used her phrase ‘Wear the Damn Shorts’ without her consent.

The Instagram fitness coach became a viral star in 2020 during the Covid pandemic when she posted a picture of the slogan – a rallying cry for body confidence – on her thigh.

She went on to appear on Loose Women and feature in women’s magazines, including Cosmopolitan, as the slogan struck a chord with women and girls across the UK.

Three years after going viral, Ms Cox says that Sweaty Betty contacted her seeking permission to launch a ‘Wear the Damn Shorts’ campaign.

She claims she initially gave consent, hoping to inspire more women, but that fitness giant has since continued to use the phrase without her involvement. 

Ms Cox has since reportedly issued a cease and desist notice, but Sweaty Betty continued with their recent campaign anyway. 

A spokesperson for Sweaty Betty said the company ‘disagree with her claims’ and that ‘none of us has exclusive legal rights to this phrase’.

In a tearful video post, Ms Cox said she feels ‘terrified” and ‘belittled’ as the company allegedly threatened to sue her for defamation.

Georgina Cox, 34, accused Sweaty Betty of ‘silencing [her] by threats’ after she complained that it used her phrase ‘Wear the Damn Shorts’ without her consent

The Instagram fitness coach became a viral star in 2020 during the Covid pandemic when she posted a picture of the slogan – a rallying cry for body confidence – on her thigh

Ms Cox said Sweaty Betty initially contacted her before launching the slogan and selling £35 ‘Wear the Damn Shorts’ T-shirts in 2023. However, she claims the company did not contact her ahead of this year’s campaign

‘If this had happened to anyone else, I would tell them to defend themselves,’ she said.

‘My hair is falling out, I’m having panic attacks. I’m waking up with my heart racing. 

‘They’re just dragging this out because they know I can’t afford to keep going.’

Ms Cox was paid a one-off fee of £3,500 for an advertisement post on her own Instagram feed, the Times reported.

The following year, she says Sweaty Betty contacted her again before launching the slogan on its homepage, promotional videos and selling £35 ‘Wear the Damn Shorts’ T-shirts.

However, she claims the company did not contact her ahead of this year’s campaign, and she found out after friends informed her that she had been ‘hidden’ from the clothing brand’s Instagram.

This meant she could not receive acknowledgement for her slogan with Mx Cox then asking her 216,000 followers whether they assumed she was involved with the brand using her slogan.

In letters seen by The Times, Sweaty Betty’s legal team accused Ms Cox of being ‘bitter’ and of ‘poor behaviour’.

Ms Cox claims that a settlement meeting was organised in August but was cancelled with two days’ notice, and she has since been ignored.

The slogan was first created as inspiration for Ms Cox’s self-conscious younger sister, but the picture gained traction around the world.

‘As the weather continues to get warmer please know you DO NOT need to wait until your body looks a certain way to wear something, you deserve to NOW!,’ the post said.

The personal trainer, from Middlesbrough, has since set up a GoFundMe page to raise funds to cover her legal costs, reaching more than £7000 so far

It concluded: ‘Rock those shorts, that top, the dress and remind yourself as many times as you need to that summer DOES NOT have a size.’

The personal trainer, from Middlesbrough, has since set up a GoFundMe page to raise funds to cover her legal costs, reaching more than £7000 so far.

It reads: ‘I feel completely betrayed that they continue to profit off my work and I soon realised it wasn’t about celebrating women at all. It was simply about money.

‘I believe Sweaty Betty have made tens of millions of pounds in sales, resulting from my work

‘They have threatened a defamation lawsuit for talking about my experience but I will not be silenced any longer. They can take my words. But they will not take my voice.’

Sweaty Betty continues to use the slogan on its website. 

A spokesperson for Sweaty Betty said: ‘We take Georgina’s views seriously, however, respectfully disagree with her claims. 

‘We have great respect for the community Georgina has built around body confidence and empowerment, and were surprised and saddened to find ourselves in this situation. 

‘“Wear the Damn Shorts” has been part of our campaign for three years, and we chose it because it perfectly captures what Sweaty Betty stands for — encouraging women everywhere to feel confident, powerful, and unapologetically themselves.

‘While none of us has exclusive legal rights to this phrase, we have always aimed to respect Georgina’s association with it. 

‘Since she first raised her concerns earlier this year, we’ve been in regular contact. 

‘Sweaty Betty has long been built on collaboration with trailblazing women, on integrity, and on uplifting women through wellness and body positivity. 

‘We remain committed to those values and to resolving this matter constructively with Georgina.’