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The New York Post reported today that in court papers filed on March 27, Harringon “demanded that she be withdrawn as a plaintiff” denying that she ever agreed to take on the Internet dating giant.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

Canadian Privacy Commissioner Endorses National AV Bill

Philippe Dufresne, privacy commissioner of Canada, has voiced support for a bill that would impose fines of up to $500,000 on adult sites that do not implement age verification for Canadian viewers.

Industry Attorney Paul Cambria Retires After 50 Years of Practicing Law

After more than a half-century in practice, during which he provided the defense in some of the adult industry's most notable legal cases, attorney Paul Cambria has retired.

FSC: California's Device-Based AV Law Does Not Apply to Adult

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) put out an advisory today explaining that California's new device-based age verification law does not apply to adult websites.

Ohio AG Threatens Action Against 'Major' Adult Sites Over AV Law

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced today that his office is sending "notice of violation" letters to 19 adult websites for failure to comply with the state's recently enacted age verification law.

Ukrainian Content Creators on Hook for Nearly $10M in Back Taxes

Content creators in Ukraine owe the equivalent of $9.3 million in back taxes, according to the country's State Tax Service.

Updated: European Patent Office Board of Appeals Revokes EIS GmbH Patent

The European Patent Office (EPO) Board of Appeals last week ruled in favor of pleasure brand LELO in the company's ongoing dispute with Satisfyer parent company EIS GmbH.

Update: Pornhub Will Not Block Ohio, Despite AV Law

Pornhub parent company Aylo will not block access to its websites in Ohio, despite new state age verification rules that came into effect Sept. 30.

Judge Dismisses Some Claims in 'Children of Pornhub' Trafficking Suit

A United States district judge on Friday dismissed some but not all claims against Aylo in a long-running case involving CSAM allegations featured in the influential 2020 New York Times article “The Children of Pornhub.”

Arcom to Expand AV Enforcement to Smaller Adult Sites

The president of French media regulator Arcom revealed on Thursday that the agency plans to escalate its enforcement of age verification rules to include smaller adult sites, starting in late 2025 or early 2026.

Pornhub to Shut Down Access in Arizona Over Age Verification

Aylo will geoblock Pornhub across Arizona starting Sept. 26, when the state’s age verification law, HB 2112, goes into effect.

Show More