Can a famous family name carry its reputation from one generation to the next? That question took centre stage in the Delhi High Court as it heard Aaradhya Bachchan’s case over alleged fake and misleading claims about her health and private life.
According to Hindustan Times, Aaradhya, daughter of Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, approached the court in 2023 after YouTube channels allegedly circulated “absolutely false” videos about her. Some claimed she was seriously ill and had been hospitalised.
During Thursday’s hearing, Justice Anup J Bhambhani raised a bigger question: how far does the reputation of a powerful family name extend?
The judge compared the issue with the reputation attached to a trademark but noted that a person’s name presents a different legal question. He asked whether the reputation built by a family’s achievements and prominence could “flow down generationally” and, if so, how far.
The court also turned its attention to the alleged misinformation itself. It questioned whether even extremely offensive or misleading material could amount to an intellectual property violation. The bench also asked which type of IP right could apply.
Advocate Pravin Anand, representing the plaintiffs, argued that the Bachchan family’s goodwill should not be damaged or commercially exploited. He said such goodwill could lose value over time. He also pointed out that the disputed material allegedly used photographs of the family while associating the Bachchan name with the claims.
The controversy has already prompted strong judicial intervention. On 20 April 2023, the court restrained several YouTube channels from circulating misleading content about Aaradhya’s health. The single-judge bench described spreading misinformation about a child as “morbid perversity” and said Google could not allow such material to spread.
The court also stressed that every child has the right to dignity and respect. It called misleading claims about a child’s health “completely intolerable in law”.
Aaradhya, represented by her father, filed the case against several YouTube channels and unidentified individuals over allegedly defamatory content targeting her and the Bachchan family. The videos reportedly made claims that she was seriously ill, hospitalised and even dead. Some also alleged that the family had delayed her medical treatment.
The plea also sought protection of the family’s private information. The legal battle will return to court in September, with the question of where family reputation ends — and an individual’s legal rights begin — still hanging over the case.
