It all started when Paris Hilton, socialite and heir of the Hilton chain of hotels, claimed Antebi Footwear Group failed to honour the licensing agreement celebrated between them and unlawfully squeezed out of paying royalties for her signature shoe collection. According to the American newspaper New York Post, Paris Hilton filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit in Manhattan federal court against New York-based Antebi, which designed the Paris Hilton Footwear collection of stilettos, flats, wedges and other footwear. The socialite is also seeking a court order to terminate the licensing agreement, which runs through this year.

Antebi hit back with a countersuit, seeking royalty refunds of 2 million USD already paid, as they claim the celebrity breached the contract after inking a deal with rival company Retouch and promoting the resulting Parisian Parc footwear line on social media.

According to the New York Post, the lawsuit states: “Although there is no dispute that Antebi owes substantial sums under its agreement, Antebi refuses to pay, and now outrageously attempts to justify its conduct by fabricating its claims that Paris Hilton prejudiced its contract rights.”

International press and the web are following the developments with interest, with blogs and fashion sites keeping an eye on the dispute.

Antebi Footwear Group LLC is a company founded in 2007 and based in New York City. Their brand's portfolio include Kooba (handbags), Paris Hilton (bags, shoes, watches, accessories), and David Tutera (event planning and design for weddings).