Online retailers are capitalizing on the ‘Cornell Seven’ sexual assault case, sparking backlash as activists and survivors condemn the commodification of trauma.
The Instagram post appeared last weekend, promising solidarity but delivering a shopping cart link. Clothing brand Cherrykitten unveiled a line of T-shirts. crop tops. and sports bras featuring the slogan “I Am Jane Doe. ” accompanied by the caption: “ALL OF US ARE UNTIL NONE OF US ARE.” The brand pledged to donate 5 percent of net proceeds to the National Organization for Women.
The slogan references the “Cornell Seven” case. an ongoing flashpoint involving an anonymous woman who accused seven Cornell University fraternity members of sexual assault and other counts. The hashtag #IAmJaneDoe surged in popularity last week as survivors mobilized to protect the accuser from online trolls attempting to dox her. All seven accused men have denied any wrongdoing, and none have faced criminal charges.
For many. the sight of a brand—known for selling tops with slogans like “Pls do not give me a cigarette no matter what I say”—attempting to monetize the situation felt predatory. Social media users were swift to condemn the move as a tasteless attempt to profit from a violent sexual assault case. One viral tweet. which reached 2.2 million views. captured the prevailing sentiment: “Using the cornell seven sexual assault as a merch idea and then donating ONLY 5% to a womens charity.. oh cherrykitten.. you’re fucked.”.
Cherrykitten ultimately deleted the post and issued an apology, acknowledging the error of turning a “real and deeply serious situation into a product.” The brand did not respond to requests for comment regarding the controversy.
Yet, the incident is symptomatic of a digital marketplace that moves faster than ethics. A search across e-commerce platforms reveals that the brand is hardly alone in its attempt to sell the headlines. On Amazon, a search for “I Am Jane Doe” currently returns more than 6,000 product results. Across Etsy and Redbubble. hundreds of independent sellers are listing items ranging from hats and mugs to sweatshirts and bumper stickers. often optimized with tags like “feminist. ” “true crime. ” “protest. ” and even “lizzieborden.”.
Many of these listings rely on AI-generated images of smiling women with polished hair to model the gear. One Etsy shop owner. who requested anonymity due to the volatile nature of the discourse. has been selling sweatshirts in shades of ash. dark chocolate. and purple since October 1. Priced between $19.53 and $27.93, she reports that 21 units have already been sold.
The digital echo chamber has transformed a rallying cry for survivor protection into a catalog of goods. where a serious legal matter is reduced to a searchable keyword. As the controversy surrounding the Cornell Seven continues to draw global outrage. the question remains whether the marketplace will pull back or if the trend will continue to fuel this new. uncomfortable intersection of protest and retail.
Cornell Seven I Am Jane Doe Cherrykitten online retail sexual assault digital trends e-commerce