Melissa Midwest Dropped From Match.com Lawsuit

NEW YORK — Adult model “Melisssa Midwest” Harrington has been yanked as the face of a multi-million dollar lawsuit against dating site Match.com.

The New York Post reported today that in court papers filed on March 27, Harringon “demanded that she be withdrawn as a plaintiff” denying that she ever agreed to take on the Internet dating giant.

Lawyer Evan Spencer, who filed the suit last January blamed the turnaround on miscommunication.

“Melissa hasn’t been in the [porn] business for five years and decided she just didn’t want the attention,” Spencer said.

Harrington is the second model to be bounced as the face of the trademark infringement lawsuit. She joined the $4.5 billion action along with part-time Florida mainstream model Yuliana Avalos. But Spencer said he booted Avalos after receiving complaints that she willing sold her sexy shots to the very same Nigeria-based Internet scammers whom she blamed for exploiting her.

In Harrington's suit, MelTech Inc., the owner of the copyrighted photographs claimed it received thousands of complaints from American romance scam victims over the past six-plus years, alleging that hundreds of victims were scammed out of millions.

The original suit filed last November by Avalos, accuses Match.com of posting tens of thousands of fake dating profiles of attractive people on their sites in an effort to attract paying members.

Spencer told the Post that he plans to move forward without Harrington and with a watered-down version of the suit with fewer allegations against Match.com. He will be seeking unspecified money damages only on behalf of Harrington’s ex-husband, Shane Harrington, who owned the rights to her sexy photos.

A Match spokesman declined to comment but told the Post that the suit is “filled with outlandish conspiracy theories and clumsy fabrications in lieu of factual or legal basis.”

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

European Commission to Assess Pornhub, XVideos, XNXX Compliance With Digital Services Act

The European Commission plans to conduct a study to determine how well adult sites Pornhub, XVideos and XNXX are addressing illegal content and other potential harms under the EU’s Digital Services Act.

German Higher Court Upholds Ban on PornHub, YouPorn

The Higher Administrative Court of Rhineland-Palatinate on Thursday upheld a “network ban” on Aylo-owned adult sites Pornhub and YouPorn for failing to comply with German age verification regulations.

Alabama Notifying Adult Sites of New Tax Set to Take Effect Sept. 1

The Alabama Department of Revenue has begun sending notices to adult site operators about a new 10% tax on their revenues, set to be enforced starting Sept. 1.

Ofcom Investigates 4 More Adult Companies for OSA Compliance

U.K. media regulator Ofcom has launched investigations into whether four companies operating adult websites have implemented requisite age assurance measures under the Online Safety Act, the agency announced Thursday.

Kyrgyzstan President Signs Measure Outlawing Internet Porn

President Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday signed into law legislation outlawing online adult content in the country.

NC Legislature Overrides Veto of Extreme Anti-Adult Industry Bill

The North Carolina state legislature on Tuesday voted to override Gov. Josh Stein’s veto of a bill imposing regulations that industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most creators and content.

Report: VPN Downloads Soar in UK Following Age Verification Deadline

Virtual private network apps, which can be used to circumvent geo-specific age verification requirements, are topping Apple App Store downloads in the U.K. in the wake of new Online Safety Act rules, the BBC is reporting.

Strike 3 Holdings Sues Meta for Pirating Vixen Media Group Content to Train AI

Vixen Media Group owner Strike 3 Holdings filed suit in federal court this week, accusing Facebook parent company Meta of copyright infringement and alleging that Meta has extensively pirated VMG content to train its artificial intelligence models.

Friday is Final AV Compliance Deadline in UK

Friday, July 25 marks U.K. media regulator Ofcom’s deadline for user-to-user services such as tube, cam and fan sites to implement its requisite “highly effective age assurance” measures for preventing minors from viewing adult content.

Two Texas Bills Restricting Sex Toy Sales Fail to Pass

Two bills aimed at restricting sales of sex toys have failed to pass the Texas state legislature during its 2025 session.

Show More