Newark, N.J. – Two brothers sacked from their grocery jobs for filming a gangsta-rap parody at the store now face a defamation lawsuit from their former employer.
A&P claims the video by Mark and Matthew D’Avella motivated at least one “disgusted and distressed” customer to boycott the supermarket because of the video’s “repulsive acts.” The Montvale, N.J.- based chain seeks at least $1 million in compensation and demands that the D’Avellas remove “Produce Paradise” from the Internet. On Tuesday, it remained on YouTube and the brothers’ website.
The company asserts that the video “contains numerous false and defamatory statements that are injurious to the reputation and livelihood of A&P.” It’s also suing for trademark infringement, charging that an A&P logo can be seen on a ball cap shown in the video, though the D’Avellas contend the resolution is too fuzzy to make it out.
The 4-minute, 16-second video features the two college students rapping as they handle fruits and vegetables in different parts of a grocery store. The brothers – styling themselves as a group called Fresh Beets – stand with bananas suggestively hanging out of their pants at one point. One pretends to urinate on some greens.
