RHOSLC Star Heather Gay Settles $450k Federal Lawsuit

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RHOSLC star Heather Gay is closing the chapter on another legal issue. Get all the details!

Radar Online reports that Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Heather Gay and her med spa, Beauty Lab + Laser reached a confidential settlement with photographer Gavin O’Neill in order to squash a federal lawsuit.

According to court documents, the RHOSLC star and photographer informed the court that they came to a settlement.

 All claims will be dismissed against Heather and her business, per the deal.

Last year, O’Neill sued Heather and her Utah-based med spa for copyright infringement.

The photographer, who has worked for the likes of Vogue, Cosmopolitan, and GQ, stated that he makes income by licensing out his photos to third parties.

O’Neill accused Heather of using his photos in advertisements for Beauty Lab + Laser without consent or payment.

He claims that one of his images was used to showcase the potential result  “of what can be achieved with Beauty Lab’s HydraFacial services and urged its users to book an appointment online.”

The lawsuit accused the Bravo star and her business of using numerous photos taken by O’Neill without his consent.

“O’Neill is informed and believes Defendants (including their employees, agents, contractors or others over whom they have responsibility and control) used, displayed, published, and otherwise held out to the public O’Neill’s original and unique Photographs in order to acquire a direct financial benefit from the use of the Photographs through revenue from the sales of Beauty Lab’s products and services,” he said in the court filing.

The photographer said he attempted to settle the issue with Heather privately before taking legal action but claims she refused. In his lawsuit, O’Neill demanded damages north of $450k.

Heather and her company denied any wrongdoing and argued that O’Neill had not been damaged by her actions.  “Defendant’s infringement was not willful. Defendant removed the allegedly infringing photographs immediately upon receiving notice,” her filing read.

However, the two eventually worked out an agreement that allowed them to dismiss the lawsuit.

This second legal victory for Heather comes just weeks after a judge dismissed Monica Garcia’s lawsuit against Heather and her med spa.

A Utah judge dismissed Monica’s lawsuit against Beauty Lab + Laser on January 17.

After reviewing all of the pleadings in connection to the case, the court dismissed the RHOLSC rookie’s case since her claim is “time-barred by the statute of limitations” and Monica “failed to obtain a certificate of compliance from the Division of Professional Licensing.”

The court also noted that a hearing on the case would not be helpful because “the law is clear and straightforward in this matter.”

Beauty Lab + Laser’s lawsuit against Monica is still active.

The legal issues between Heather Gay’s Beauty Lab + Laser company and Monica Garcia stem from services in December 2019.

In August, Heather Gay’s company, Beauty Lab + Laser, filed a lawsuit against RHOSLC newbie Monica Garcia for “breach of contract and breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing.”

Beauty Lab + Laser claims in legal documents that Monica signed a contract with them on December 10, 2019, to pay $2,449 for cosmetic injection services. The RHOSLC newbie only paid the initial payment of $449, including the $49 set-up fee and $400 down payment.

Monica was supposed to make $200 monthly payments over the next ten months, which she failed to do.

Then, in September, the RHOSLC newbie countersued Beauty Lab + Laser. She later amended her response to Beauty Lab + Laser’s lawsuit and filed a counterclaim on November 7, claiming she received “botched” nose and lip injections from a Utah-based med spa.

In her filing, Monica claimed that Beauty Lab “promised” they would not seek further payment from her since she “suffered more damages” than they occurred.

The 40-year-old also alleged that the injections into her nose were done “in a negligent, medically deficient manner” that “diminished” her appearance, adding that “the appearance of Monica’s lips was not improved.”

RHOSLC will return for season 5 in late 2024.

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