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Short Summary
Fashion designer Antthony Mark Hankins filed a $30 million federal lawsuit against QVC and HSN in February 2026 after the companies ended his 31 year on air partnership. The case was paused when QVC Group entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy in April 2026, and reporting from late July 2026 indicates it is now moving forward again as one of the few pre bankruptcy claims allowed to proceed.
Fashion designer Antthony Mark Hankins filed a $30 million lawsuit against QVC and HSN in February 2026, alleging the companies ended a 31 year retail partnership without justification and discriminated against him based on race. The Antthony Mark Hankins lawsuit against QVC combines breach of contract, discrimination, and defamation claims. As of late July 2026, the case is reportedly moving forward again after QVC's bankruptcy briefly froze it.
Key Takeaways
• Antthony Mark Hankins filed a federal lawsuit against QVC and HSN on February 11, 2026, case number 2:26-cv-00912, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
• Hankins is seeking at least $30 million and has demanded a jury trial.
• The lawsuit alleges breach of contract, racial discrimination, defamation, tortious interference, and misappropriation of his name and likeness.
• QVC Group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on April 16, 2026, which automatically paused the Hankins case starting June 11, 2026.
• The bankruptcy court approved QVC's reorganization plan on July 20, 2026, cutting debt from $6.6 billion to about $1.3 billion.
• As of late July 2026, the Hankins lawsuit is reported to be one of the few pre bankruptcy claims cleared to proceed, though the full written order was not independently available at the time of writing.
What Is the Antthony Mark Hankins Lawsuit Against QVC About?
Antthony Mark Hankins is the founder of Antthony Design Originals, a Savannah, Georgia based fashion brand that sold on HSN and QVC for 31 years before the network terminated him in July 2025. On February 11, 2026, Hankins and his company sued QVC Group, HSN Inc., and HSNI, LLC in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, docket number 2:26-cv-00912.
The lawsuit is one of the most closely watched QVC HSN legal disputes of 2026 because it combines a straightforward breach of contract claim with allegations of racial discrimination, defamation, and misuse of Hankins' name and image. Hankins and his company filed an amended complaint on March 29, 2026, according to court records tracked on PACER Monitor.
What Does the Antthony Mark Hankins QVC Lawsuit Allege?
Court filings say that between 2023 and 2025, HSN executives reduced Hankins' contractually promised airtime and rack space while shifting the network's focus toward what the complaint calls a TikTok centered business model. Hankins alleges his gross sales fell to $13.24 million in the year before his termination, more than $2 million below the figure he says his contract projected.
The complaint also claims HSN sold Hankins' remaining Antthony Design Originals inventory at steep discounts after cutting him from the schedule, and continued using his name and likeness without authorization. It further alleges that HSN managers told several on air hosts, named in the filing as Marlo Smith, Bobbi Ray Carter, and Lynn Murphy, that QVC or HSN had purchased his company, a statement Hankins says was false and damaged his reputation.
The Antthony Mark Hankins discrimination lawsuit component centers on his claim that HSN promoted him more heavily during Black History Month while otherwise limiting his exposure, then terminated him without cause despite decades of strong sales performance. Hankins, who is Black, alleges this reflects a broader pattern of discriminatory and retaliatory treatment.
What Does the Antthony Mark Hankins QVC Lawsuit Allege?
Court filings say that between 2023 and 2025, HSN executives reduced Hankins' contractually promised airtime and rack space while shifting the network's focus toward what the complaint calls a TikTok centered business model. Hankins alleges his gross sales fell to $13.24 million in the year before his termination, more than $2 million below the figure he says his contract projected.
The complaint also claims HSN sold Hankins' remaining Antthony Design Originals inventory at steep discounts after cutting him from the schedule, and continued using his name and likeness without authorization. It further alleges that HSN managers told several on air hosts, named in the filing as Marlo Smith, Bobbi Ray Carter, and Lynn Murphy, that QVC or HSN had purchased his company, a statement Hankins says was false and damaged his reputation.
The Antthony Mark Hankins discrimination lawsuit component centers on his claim that HSN promoted him more heavily during Black History Month while otherwise limiting his exposure, then terminated him without cause despite decades of strong sales performance. Hankins, who is Black, alleges this reflects a broader pattern of discriminatory and retaliatory treatment.
Why Was Antthony Mark Hankins Terminated by HSN and QVC?
QVC and HSN have not publicly detailed their reasoning for ending the partnership, and neither company had responded to media requests for comment as of the most recent reporting reviewed for this article. The termination occurred amid a broader downturn at QVC Group, whose annual revenue fell from roughly $10 billion in 2024 to about $9.2 billion the following year as the company shifted its programming toward social commerce platforms including TikTok Shop.
How Has QVC's Bankruptcy Affected the Hankins Lawsuit? Current Status
This section reflects the most recent, publicly verifiable docket and court activity as of July 29, 2026.
• February 11, 2026: Hankins files suit, case 2:26-cv-00912, Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
• March 29, 2026: Amended complaint filed.
• April 16, 2026: QVC Group files Chapter 11 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, reporting $1 billion to $10 billion in both assets and liabilities.
• June 11, 2026: District Judge Mary Kay Costello stays the Hankins case under the automatic stay in Section 362 of the Bankruptcy Code.
• July 20, 2026: The bankruptcy court approves QVC's Second Amended Joint Prepackaged Chapter 11 Plan; a separate ruling by Bankruptcy Judge Alfredo R. Perez rejects a preferred shareholder challenge, cutting company debt from about $6.6 billion to $1.3 billion.
• Late July 2026: Coverage from the Philadelphia Business Journal reports that a federal judge has allowed the Hankins claim to proceed as one of the few pre petition lawsuits cleared to move forward alongside QVC's bankruptcy exit.
As of this writing, the full text of the order permitting the case to proceed has not been independently reviewed, so readers should treat this as a reported development rather than a confirmed final ruling, and should check the Eastern District of Pennsylvania docket directly for the latest entries.
Are There Other Lawsuits or Legal Issues Involving QVC and HSN?
Beyond the Hankins case, QVC Group has faced a separate wave of privacy claims alleging its website used a Meta tracking pixel to share visitors' video viewing history without consent, a potential violation of the federal Video Privacy Protection Act. QVC Group's bankruptcy also drew a challenge from preferred shareholders, who argued the reorganization plan wiped out roughly $1.4 billion in collective investment, a challenge Judge Perez rejected on July 20, 2026.
No prior lawsuits, recalls, or regulatory actions specifically involving Antthony Mark Hankins or Antthony Design Originals were identified in court records or news coverage reviewed for this article. If a prior case surfaces, this section will be updated.
Who May Be Affected by the QVC and HSN Legal Dispute?
This is a private business dispute between Hankins, his company, and QVC's corporate entities, not a consumer class action, so most QVC and HSN shoppers are not directly affected by the lawsuit itself. The following groups may have a more direct interest in the broader QVC bankruptcy and legal dispute:
• Vendors and business partners with pre bankruptcy contracts or receivables owed by QVC Group.
• Preferred shareholders of QVC Group whose holdings are affected by the reorganization plan.
• Website visitors with a Facebook account who streamed QVC.com videos and may be part of the separate Video Privacy Protection Act claims.
• On air talent or licensing partners whose contracts resemble Hankins' arrangement with HSN.
What Should You Do If You Believe You Are Affected?
The following is general information, not personalized legal advice.
• Vendors and creditors can review claims bar dates and plan documents through QVC's court appointed claims agent, Kroll, at restructuring.ra.kroll.com/QVC.
• Shareholders should review QVC Group's SEC filings, including its 10-Q and 8-K disclosures, for details on how existing shares are treated under the approved plan.
• Anyone who believes their QVC.com viewing data was shared without consent may look into existing Video Privacy Protection Act litigation trackers such as ClassAction.org.
• Anyone considering a similar contract, discrimination, or licensing dispute should consult a licensed attorney in their state, since eligibility and legal strategy depend on facts a general article cannot evaluate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Antthony Mark Hankins lawsuit against QVC still active in 2026? Yes. Hankins filed the case on February 11, 2026, it was paused by QVC's bankruptcy stay on June 11, 2026, and reporting from late July 2026 indicates it has been cleared to proceed as the bankruptcy case winds down.
What is the case number for the Antthony Mark Hankins QVC lawsuit? The case is Antthony Design Originals, Inc. et al. v. QVC Group, Inc. et al., number 2:26-cv-00912, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
How much money is Antthony Mark Hankins seeking from QVC? Hankins is seeking at least $30 million in damages and has demanded a jury trial, according to his complaint.
Is Anthony Mark Haskins the correct name in this case? No. The designer's correct name is Antthony Mark Hankins. Anthony Mark Haskins and similar spellings are common misspellings that refer to the same person and lawsuit.
Has QVC Group actually filed for bankruptcy? Yes. QVC Group filed for Chapter 11 protection on April 16, 2026, in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, and the court approved its reorganization plan on July 20, 2026.
Is there a class action settlement for QVC customers tied to the Hankins case? No. The Hankins lawsuit is an individual breach of contract and discrimination case, not a class action, and no settlement had been announced as of this writing.
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