There can only be one “Sexiest Man Alive.”
A source told Page Six that People magazine sent a legal warning shot to Us Weekly after it published its own “Sexiest Men Alive” list in both print and online on Wednesday — hours after People revealed that John Legend is this year’s “Sexiest Man Alive.”
This resulted in the publication removing all trace of the poll from its website and social platforms.
Not only has People been bestowing this honorific on male celebrities for the past 34 years, but it has also held a registered trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for the franchise since 2002.
This didn’t stop Us Weekly from launching an online poll last week asking for readers to vote for “The Real Sexiest Men Alive!”
And on Wednesday, the magazine had a cover chip featuring photos of Hollywood hunks The Rock, Jason Momoa and Chris Hemsworth.
The blurb read: “Voted by you! The Real Sexiest Men Alive!”
The move left People staffers baffled as another source told us: “This seems like such a futile and ridiculous attempt to compete with People. Everyone knows that SMA has been an integral part of People for more than 30 years and it’s a franchise that we protect and guard very closely.”
A source at Us Weekly’s publishers, American Media Inc., confirmed the lawyers had been in touch, and told Page Six they hoped to have everything sorted out “amicably, soon.”
It was also pointed out that AMI had previously sold Shape magazine to People publishers Meredith.
People has 3.3 million total circulation, while Us Weekly’s circulation is at 1.95 million. The AMI publication’s circulation has also decreased by 33 percent year over year.
Both AMI and People have declined to comment.