Jalen Green's baby mama Draya Michele speaks out on accusations of stealing swimwear design
Houston Rockets standout Jalen Green's baby mama, Draya Michele, was accused of stealing swimwear designs by a small business owner named Chenique Janine. Janine's Instagram account says that she handmakes clothing items in Barbados with a slew of beachwear designs featured on her Instagram profile.
In a post on Instagram story, Janine accused Draya Michele of stealing her swimwear designs after gifting her with a pair of swimsuits that she had made by hand in 2022.
As she explained in a lengthy post, while having lunch at a restaurant in Barbados back in 2022, she and her friends noticed Michele, who she had wanted to work with for some time. Eventually, she went over and spoke to Michele, agreeing to make and drop off two swimsuits at the hotel where Michele was staying.
Now, Janine is alleging that Michele has stolen her swimsuit designs, rebranding them and releasing them under her own Mint Swim USA line. In response to the accusations, Michele fired back on her Instagram story, explaining her side of the equation.
Editor's Note: As Michele's response is stretched across 16 story posts and counting, they have been compiled into one statement below.
"While she is correct about gifting me ... she's incorrect about me 'stealing a design'. ... I just want to clarify that i have been in the business since 2011 and if anything. I remix MY OWN silhouettes and styles."
Michele then shows two examples of swimsuits she released in years past, one called "Sam" released in 2016, and another called "Bunny" she released in 2022.
She continued:
"In 2024 I merged a front of one design with the back of another. (Both my original designs) And added a clasp. And I called it Kiki. The only thing I did was remix my previous styles for a new twist. Its swimwear. It often repeats itself. That's how it goes."
"As a small business owner, this is beyond hurtful," - Chenique Janine shares her side of Draya Michele scandal
As previously mentioned, Chenique Janine, a small business owner in Barbados, alleged that Draya Michele stole her designs and turned around and mass-produced them for her Mint Swim USA line.
In a lengthy post on social media, she explained that although she was grateful for Michele tagging her business on Instagram while showing off the designs she made, she was shocked to see that Michele took the designs and mass-produced them.
In a lengthy post on Instagram, she wrote, in part:
"As a small business owner, this is beyond hurtful, for several reasons. Every single swimsuit my clients have received is handcrafted by myself.
"I do not have the finances or resources at this stage to mass produce at the level she and other fast fashion brands who have stolen my designs in the past have. She did not even reach out and suggest a collaboration."
As she explained towards the end of her post, she isn't trying to quote-unquote shame Draya Michele but rather draw attention to the situation and how it impacts her as a small business owner.
After responding in a series of posts on her story, Draya Michele sent a message to Janine, as seen below.
