who found fame as the “hunk” claims he suffered a brain injury when he ran into a colleague during a beach advert shoot. Andrew Cooper, 43, is suing , a Chanel-owned luxury beachwear brand, for £4.1 million, after he was hurt while filming the advert in Italy in 2020.
Mr Cooper claims he collided with another model and was left concussed on the sands of Puglia after being instructed to run down a dune onto the beach. He says the accident caused him a brain injury that has seriously hampered his career as a model, social media influencer and actor. Having found fame as the star of the Diet Coke “hunk” advert in 2013, Mr Cooper went on to work with top brands including Dunhill and .
He also walked runways for Versace, Dolce&Gabbana and . But he says he has since had to turn down some high-paying work owing to the effects of the accident. At the High Court in London, he is now suing Orlebar Brown Ltd for compensation.
The high-end brand, which is known for tailored, photo-print swimming shorts that retail for up to £395 a pair, denies liability and blames the agency behind the shoot, the Tom Hingston Studio Ltd. But the studio also denies any blame, with its barrister John Williams telling the High Court last week that “accidents happen without negligence.” According to Mr Cooper’s claim, he was filming with several other models on Puglia beach in September 2020.
He and another model were instructed to run down a dune onto the beach, but collided, causing him lif.