Fashion designer Antthony Mark Hankins filed a federal lawsuit against QVC Group and HSN in February 2026, seeking at least $30 million in damages after the networks ended a retail partnership that had run for more than 31 years. The Antthony Mark Hankins QVC lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, alleges breach of contract, racial discrimination, defamation, and unauthorized use of his name and likeness.1BusinessWire. Designer Antthony Mark Hankins Files Federal Lawsuit Following Termination of Long-Standing Retail Partnership The case is currently stayed because QVC Group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in April 2026.2PACER Monitor. Antthony Design Originals, Inc. et al v. QVC Group, Inc. et al
What Hankins Is Claiming
The case, captioned Antthony Design Originals, Inc. et al v. QVC Group, Inc. et al (No. 2:26-cv-00912), was filed on February 11, 2026, and names HSN Inc., HSNI LLC, and QVC Group Inc. as defendants. Hankins is represented by Samuel B. Fineman of Semanoff Ormsby Greenberg & Torchia LLC. A First Amended Complaint followed on March 29, 2026. The suit seeks at least $30 million and requests a jury trial.2PACER Monitor. Antthony Design Originals, Inc. et al v. QVC Group, Inc. et al3Hoodline. Savannah Fashion Fixture Slaps QVC and HSN With $30 Million Suit
The complaint sets out several distinct claims.
Breach of contract. The suit alleges HSN failed to honor a 2015 deal requiring the network to meet a minimum purchase-order threshold of $2 million over any six-month period, and that HSN pulled airtime without contractual justification.4Philadelphia Inquirer. QVC Group Bankruptcy Antthony Mark Hankins Lawsuit
Racial discrimination. Hankins, who is Black, alleges discriminatory treatment. The complaint says HSN staff used the internal shorthand “Nicole” as coded language for Black women and women of color, and it points to non-minority creative director Ken Downing, who allegedly remained in good standing despite reported unprofessional conduct while Hankins was terminated abruptly. Hankins also claims the company promoted him heavily during Black History Month as part of a pattern of tokenizing treatment.3Hoodline. Savannah Fashion Fixture Slaps QVC and HSN With $30 Million Suit
Unauthorized use of name and likeness. The suit alleges HSN continued using Hankins’s name, photograph, and likeness in marketing materials and promotional emails at least through January 22, 2026, months after he was removed from the broadcast schedule.4Philadelphia Inquirer. QVC Group Bankruptcy Antthony Mark Hankins Lawsuit
Brand devaluation. After the termination, HSN allegedly sold remaining Antthony Design Originals inventory at steep discounts and listed apparel on Amazon using HSN imagery, which the complaint characterizes as a fire sale that damaged the brand.3Hoodline. Savannah Fashion Fixture Slaps QVC and HSN With $30 Million Suit
Defamation and interference. The complaint accuses HSN management of making false statements to on-air hosts Marlo Smith, Bobbi Ray Carter, and Lynn Murphy, implying that HSN or QVC had purchased Hankins’s company. Hankins also alleges interference with third-party business relationships.4Philadelphia Inquirer. QVC Group Bankruptcy Antthony Mark Hankins Lawsuit
How the Partnership Ended
The lawsuit alleges HSN executives began reducing Hankins’s airtime and scaling back promotion of his brand between 2023 and 2025 as the company pivoted toward TikTok and younger shoppers. The complaint says HSN showed little interest in renewing traditional vendor contracts like Hankins’s while using his platform, audience, and history to help build the network’s new model.3Hoodline. Savannah Fashion Fixture Slaps QVC and HSN With $30 Million Suit
Hankins received a termination notice by email on July 29, 2025, with an official end date of August 31, 2025. The suit claims HSN pulled him off the air immediately that same day, canceling multiple scheduled August appearances. According to the complaint, Hankins’s gross sales for 2025 came in at $13.24 million, more than $2 million below projections of $15.67 million, a shortfall he attributes to the reduced support and airtime.4Philadelphia Inquirer. QVC Group Bankruptcy Antthony Mark Hankins Lawsuit
Why the Case Is on Hold
QVC Group and several U.S. subsidiaries, including QVC Inc. and HSN, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas on April 16, 2026. The company described the filing as part of a restructuring agreement intended to reduce debt.5Digital Commerce 360. QVC Group Files Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
That filing had a direct effect on Hankins’s case. On April 17, 2026, the defendants filed a Suggestion of Bankruptcy in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, notifying the court of the Chapter 11 case (No. 26-90447). Federal bankruptcy law generally imposes an automatic stay on litigation against a debtor that has filed for Chapter 11 protection. On June 11, 2026, Judge Mary Kay Costello ordered all proceedings in the case stayed pending further notice.2PACER Monitor. Antthony Design Originals, Inc. et al v. QVC Group, Inc. et al
What Happens Next
As of June 2026, QVC Group had not filed an answer or motion to dismiss, and no public statement from the company about the lawsuit has appeared in court filings. QVC’s legal team at Fox Rothschild LLP has entered appearances on behalf of the defendants but has not filed a substantive response to Hankins’s claims. There is no timeline for proceedings to resume. Whether and how the case moves forward will likely depend on the progress of QVC Group’s Chapter 11 case in Texas, which will determine how creditors and litigants are treated under any restructuring plan that emerges.2PACER Monitor. Antthony Design Originals, Inc. et al v. QVC Group, Inc. et al