Sellers Cash In on the 'Cornell Seven' Case: Who Is Selling 'I Am Jane Doe' Merchandise

The clothing brand Cherrykitten promoted T-shirts, crop tops and sports bras reading "I Am Jane Doe" on Instagram last weekend. The company said it would donate 5 percent of net sales proceeds to the National Organization for Women. After a wave of public criticism, the post was removed and the brand apologized for turning a real and deeply serious situation into a product.

The slogan stems from the so-called "Cornell Seven" case, in which an anonymous woman accused seven Cornell University fraternity members of sexual assault, among other counts. All seven deny wrongdoing, and none has been charged with a crime. The #IAmJaneDoe hashtag spread after trolls tried to expose the woman's identity, and many survivors used it to show solidarity.

A flood of merchandise

Cherrykitten is not alone. Amazon lists more than 6,000 results for "I Am Jane Doe" T-shirts, while hundreds of sellers offer similar items on Etsy and Redbubble. Products include shirts, sweatshirts, hats, bracelets, mugs and bumper stickers. The rise of print-on-demand goods and Etsy's relatively lax policies on AI-generated listings make it possible to produce such items quickly in step with the news cycle.

One Etsy shop owner sold sweatshirts for between $19.53 and $27.93, and has sold 21 since October 1. A survivor of assault herself, she later decided to stop selling the design and to donate her remaining profits to RAINN.

Caution about donation claims

A RAINN representative said that raising money to support survivors is acceptable, but that if a seller is simply exploiting the case for profit, people are better off giving directly to an organization. She said calls to RAINN's hotline have risen 73 percent over the past week.

The website I Am Jane Doe Merch, created on October 2, claims part of its proceeds will go to Jane Doe. Her attorney, Thomas P. Giuffra, said no fundraising sites are authorized and urged the public to be cautious; she has asked that donations go to RAINN. Meanwhile, influencer Justin Kralemann and EQNQ Studio sell shirts for $24.95, with roughly 67 percent of proceeds going to End Rape on Campus. They report 255 shirts sold so far.