Former Olympian Sues Procter

Mark Spitz, the mustachioed swimmer who made history in 1972 by winning seven Olympic gold metals, is suing Procter & Gamble for using his image without permission and allegedly saying he endorses Crest toothpaste. The swimmer’s suit said that his name and Olympic record are included on a history of dentistry poster supplied to dentists, as well as on Procter’s web site. The suit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, claims the material falsely states that he graduated from dentistry school at Indiana University, according to Bloomberg. “The obvious purpose of the advertisements is to market Crest toothpaste by claiming that Spitz is a member of the dental health care profession and that he has endorsed Crest products,” the complaint states. The suit is seeking unspecified damages. A source at Cincinnati-based Procter declined to comment until the company had time to review the complaint, but said the posters were part of a campaign no longer in effect. Procter is ceasing making the posters available. Spitz, 56, did attend Indiana University from 1968 to 1972, but did not attend dental school. Several online sources, including ESPN.com and Indiana University, report that he was a pre-dental student. But according to the Indiana University’s School of Dentistry Web site, Spitz “intended to enter dental school here in the fall of 1972, but after his amazing performance in Munich, a tsunami-sized wave of fame carried him to the shores of Hollywood instead.” Many people assumed that Spitz became a dentist.