Shein Asks Judge to Dismiss Selena Estate Lawsuit Over Unlicensed Merch
Shein has asked a federal judge to dismiss the lawsuit brought by Selena Quintanilla's estate over unlicensed merchandise bearing the late singer's image.
The company filed the motion on Sept. 17, according to Billboard, which first obtained the filing. A hearing on the request is set for late October. The judge has yet to decide.
The claims were brought by Suzette Quintanilla, the sister of the late singer. She stewards the estate through the company Q Productions. The lawsuit alleges Shein infringed Selena Quintanilla's trademarks and her name, image and likeness rights, the legal right to control commercial use of a person's identity, by selling T-shirts and other goods with her face and cursive "Selena" logo.
Q Productions is seeking damages and a court injunction, an order to stop production and sale of goods carrying the Selena trademarks, as detailed in a March bulletin. The case also includes claims for trademark dilution, the argument that unauthorised use weakens a brand's distinctiveness, and unfair competition, the claim that a business gained an unfair advantage through misleading or unauthorised practices.
The dispute began before the courts. Q Productions sent Shein a cease-and-desist letter in August 2025 that was allegedly ignored, according to People. Suzette Quintanilla and Q Productions then filed a federal case against Shein Distribution Corporation over the unauthorised goods. After the filing, a search for "Selena" on Shein's site returned no results, KIII-TV reported.
Shein's defence rests on two points. It states it removed all the Selena merchandise flagged by Q Productions and put in place a filter blocking shoppers from searching for "Selena" or "Selena Quintanilla". It also argues the items at issue came from third-party independent merchants rather than Shein-branded stock.
The arguments echo other marketplace cases. Shein's motion mirrors defences raised by Temu in response to similar infringement lawsuits by Twenty One Pilots and the MF Doom estate. The MF Doom estate settled its counterfeit-merch lawsuit against Temu in June.
A separate family dispute is also before the courts. A.B. Quintanilla III has sued Suzette Quintanilla and Q Productions, alleging underpayment of his share of profits from Selena Quintanilla's music.
For fans, this means the shirts and search results are gone for now, but the legal question remains. The October hearing will decide whether the estate's claims against Shein move forward.
