Fashion designer Antthony Mark Hankins has filed a federal lawsuit against QVC Group and HSN, accusing the retail giants of racial discrimination and breaching a business relationship that spanned more than three decades.

The case is notable for its scale Hankins is seeking a minimum of $30 million in damages and for its timing, arriving just months before QVC Group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Note: this designer’s name is sometimes misspelled online as “Anthony Mark Haskins,” but court records identify him as Antthony Mark Hankins, founder of Antthony Design Originals.

In this article, you’ll learn what the Hankins lawsuit against QVC alleges, how the 31-year business relationship unraveled, what damages he’s seeking, and how QVC’s bankruptcy filing has affected the case.

Here’s a detail that stands out: despite decades on air, Hankins alleges the company kept using his name and image in advertisements for months after firing him, continuing into January 2026.

Quick Facts

Plaintiff	Antthony Mark Hankins and Antthony Design Originals, Inc.
Defendant	QVC Group, Inc. and HSN (Home Shopping Network)
Court	U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Case Type	Individual civil lawsuit (discrimination and breach of contract) — not a class action
Core Allegation	Racial discrimination and breach of a 31-year retail partnership following Hankins’ abrupt termination
Filing Date	February 11, 2026

What Is the Antthony Mark Hankins Lawsuit Against QVC About?

The Antthony Mark Hankins lawsuit centers on the sudden end of a retail relationship that began more than 31 years earlier between the Savannah, Georgia-based designer and the QVC/HSN shopping networks.

Hankins, who is Black, alleges the companies terminated his on-air partnership abruptly and without cause in August 2025, after years of what the complaint describes as declining support and discriminatory treatment. He and his company, Antthony Design Originals, Inc., filed suit seeking at least $30 million in damages.

Key Takeaway: This is a private lawsuit between a designer and a retail company — not a class action, and there is no public settlement fund or claims process tied to this case.

Who Are the Parties Involved?

The lawsuit involves a fashion designer with a long broadcast history and the shopping-network conglomerate he partnered with for decades.

• Antthony Mark Hankins: Founder of Antthony Design Originals, a fashion brand sold on-air through HSN for more than three decades.
• Antthony Design Originals, Inc.: Hankins’ company, listed as a co-plaintiff in the suit.
• QVC Group, Inc.: The parent company of the shopping networks, named as a defendant.
• HSN (Home Shopping Network): The network where Hankins built his on-air career, also named as a defendant.

Key Takeaway: Because both Hankins personally and his company are named as plaintiffs, the case covers both his individual discrimination claims and his business’s breach-of-contract and interference claims.

Timeline: How the Hankins v. QVC Dispute Started

The relationship between Hankins and HSN stretched back roughly 31 years before ending abruptly in 2025.

• 1990s: Hankins begins his on-air relationship with HSN, selling his Antthony Design Originals fashion line.
• 2023–2025: According to the complaint, HSN executives progressively reduce Hankins’ airtime and brand promotion as the company shifts toward a “TikTok-centered business model.”
• 2023–2025: Hankins alleges his sales declined by more than $2 million against internal projections due to this reduced network support.
• August 2025: HSN/QVC terminates its partnership with Hankins, which the complaint describes as abrupt and unjustified.
• Through January 2026: Hankins alleges the companies continued using his name and likeness in advertisements without authorization even after the termination.
• February 11, 2026: Hankins and Antthony Design Originals, Inc. file suit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
• April 16, 2026: QVC Group files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas.
• June 11, 2026: The presiding federal judge in the Hankins case orders all proceedings stayed pending the outcome of the bankruptcy.

Key Takeaway: The lawsuit was filed at a precarious moment for QVC Group financially, and the company’s bankruptcy filing just two months later has now paused the case indefinitely.

Key Allegations Explained

Hankins’ complaint raises several distinct categories of alleged misconduct by QVC and HSN.

• Racial discrimination: The complaint alleges Hankins, who is Black, was promoted more heavily during Black History Month while receiving limited exposure the rest of the year, and that the companies used coded language when discussing Black customers.
• Reduced support: Hankins alleges his airtime and promotional support were cut between 2023 and 2025 as the company pivoted toward social media platforms like TikTok.
• Abrupt termination: The complaint characterizes the August 2025 termination as sudden and lacking legitimate business justification given his decades-long track record.
• Continued use of his likeness: Hankins alleges the companies kept using his name and image in advertising after he was no longer under contract, through at least January 2026.

Key Takeaway: The lawsuit combines a discrimination claim with more conventional commercial claims, arguing the same underlying conduct violated both civil rights protections and Hankins’ contractual and business rights.

Legal Claims Being Made

The complaint asserts multiple legal theories against QVC and HSN.

• Breach of contract
• Discriminatory employment/business practices based on race
• Defamation
• Tortious interference with third-party business relationships
• Misappropriation of name and likeness in advertising

Key Takeaway: By combining a civil rights discrimination claim with commercial claims like breach of contract and misappropriation, Hankins’ legal team is pursuing multiple, independent paths to recovery rather than relying on a single theory.

What Hankins Is Seeking in Damages

Hankins and his company are seeking a minimum of $30 million in damages, according to the complaint and subsequent news reporting.

The complaint reportedly ties part of this figure to lost sales, estimated at more than $2 million against internal projections, attributed to reduced airtime and promotion between 2023 and 2025, along with broader reputational and business harm from the termination and alleged continued misuse of his image.

Key Takeaway: As with most newly filed lawsuits, the $30 million figure represents what Hankins is asking for — not a confirmed or awarded amount, which would only be determined through a settlement or a court judgment.

QVC and HSN’s Response

As of the most recent public reporting, QVC Group and HSN had not issued a public response to the specific allegations in Hankins’ complaint; company spokespeople and general counsel reportedly did not return requests for comment following the filing.

QVC/HSN is represented in the litigation by Fox Rothschild LLP, while Hankins is represented by Samuel B. Fineman of Semanoff Ormsby Greenberg & Torchia, LLC.

Key Takeaway: With the case now stayed due to QVC’s bankruptcy, a formal, detailed public response to the allegations may not surface until the bankruptcy proceedings resolve enough for the lawsuit to resume.

Court and Case Details

The Antthony Mark Hankins lawsuit against QVC was filed as a federal civil case in Pennsylvania.

• Case Name: Antthony Design Originals, Inc., et al. v. QVC Group, Inc., et al.
• Case Number: 2:26-cv-00912
• Court: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
• Presiding Judge: District Judge Mary Kay Costello

Key Takeaway: The Eastern District of Pennsylvania is where QVC’s operations are historically headquartered, which is a common basis for jurisdiction in cases like this one.

Current Legal Status: How QVC’s Bankruptcy Affected the Case

The Hankins lawsuit is currently on hold. QVC Group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on April 16, 2026, in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, Case No. 26-90447, before Judge Alfredo R. Perez.

That filing triggered an automatic stay under Section 362 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, which generally pauses most civil lawsuits against a company that has filed for bankruptcy. On June 11, 2026, Judge Costello formally ordered all proceedings in the Hankins case stayed pending further notice.

Key Takeaway: The bankruptcy stay doesn’t dismiss or resolve Hankins’ claims — it simply freezes the lawsuit until the bankruptcy court determines how creditor and litigation claims against QVC Group will be handled.

What Could Happen Next in the Hankins v. QVC Case

Because the case is stayed, its next steps are now tied to the separate QVC Group bankruptcy proceeding rather than the Pennsylvania federal court alone.

1. The bankruptcy court in Texas will need to address how pending litigation claims like Hankins’ are treated within the broader reorganization or liquidation process.
2. Hankins may need to file a formal proof of claim in the bankruptcy case to preserve his ability to recover any judgment or settlement.
3. If the bankruptcy court lifts the stay for this specific case, litigation in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania could resume.
4. Alternatively, claims like Hankins’ could ultimately be resolved or negotiated as part of QVC’s overall bankruptcy reorganization plan.

Key Takeaway: Given the bankruptcy stay, a quick resolution to Hankins’ claims looks unlikely in the near term — the case’s fate is now closely tied to how QVC Group’s Chapter 11 process unfolds.

Similar or Related Cases for Context

Hankins’ lawsuit arrives amid broader financial and legal turbulence at QVC Group, which has faced declining subscriber numbers and mounting debt pressures ahead of its bankruptcy filing.

For broader context on how individual discrimination and breach-of-contract claims against retailers typically proceed, see our related coverage of other on-air personality and vendor disputes with major retail companies.

Key Takeaway: Hankins’ case is one of potentially several claims QVC Group will need to address as creditors and claimants sort out priority within the bankruptcy process.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Antthony Mark Hankins lawsuit against QVC about?

The lawsuit accuses QVC Group and HSN of racial discrimination and breach of contract after ending a 31-year on-air business relationship with fashion designer Antthony Mark Hankins in August 2025. Hankins alleges he received reduced airtime and promotion in his final years on the network, was terminated without adequate justification, and that the companies continued using his name and likeness in advertising without authorization afterward. He is seeking a minimum of $30 million in damages.

Who is involved in the Antthony Mark Hankins lawsuit?

The plaintiffs are Antthony Mark Hankins and his company, Antthony Design Originals, Inc. The defendants are QVC Group, Inc. and HSN. The case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Case No. 2:26-cv-00912, before District Judge Mary Kay Costello. QVC Group’s separate Chapter 11 bankruptcy case is being heard in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas.

What is Hankins seeking in damages?

Hankins and his company are seeking a minimum of $30 million in damages, tied to alleged lost sales, breach of contract, discrimination, and misuse of his name and likeness. This figure reflects the amount requested in the complaint, not a confirmed award, and any final recovery would depend on how the litigation and QVC’s ongoing bankruptcy proceeding are ultimately resolved.

What happens now that QVC has filed for bankruptcy?

QVC Group’s April 2026 Chapter 11 filing triggered an automatic stay that paused the Hankins lawsuit as of a June 11, 2026 court order. Hankins will likely need to pursue his claims, at least in part, through the bankruptcy process itself, potentially by filing a proof of claim, rather than through the original Pennsylvania federal lawsuit alone, unless and until that court lifts the stay.

What is the current status of the Antthony Mark Hankins lawsuit?

As of mid-2026, the lawsuit remains formally stayed following QVC Group’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. No trial date, settlement, or ruling on the underlying discrimination and breach-of-contract allegations has been reported. The case’s next developments will likely depend on decisions made in QVC’s separate bankruptcy proceeding in Texas.

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The Bottom Line on the Antthony Mark Hankins QVC Lawsuit

The Antthony Mark Hankins lawsuit against QVC and HSN raises serious allegations about how a fashion designer’s decades-long partnership ended, but the case is now paused by circumstances outside either party’s direct control.

Because this is an individual lawsuit rather than a class action, there is no public compensation program tied to this case, and outside consumers or other affected vendors cannot join or file a claim through it. Any resolution will be specific to Hankins and his company.

What’s worth watching going forward:

• How QVC Group’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding in Texas treats pending litigation claims like Hankins’.
• Whether Hankins’ legal team files a formal proof of claim in the bankruptcy case.
• Whether the stay on the Pennsylvania lawsuit is eventually lifted, allowing the discrimination and breach-of-contract claims to move forward.

Readers following this case should track updates through official court records in both the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the Southern District of Texas bankruptcy court, since the two proceedings are now closely linked.

• BusinessWire, “Designer Antthony Mark Hankins Files Federal Lawsuit Following Termination of Long-Standing Retail Partnership”
• The Philadelphia Inquirer, “QVC Group sued for $30 million by designer Antthony Mark Hankins over his termination from HSN”
• Hoodline, “Savannah Fashion Fixture Slaps QVC and HSN With $30 Million Suit”
• LegalClarity, “QVC Lawsuit Update: Bankruptcy and Pending Cases”
• PacerMonitor, Antthony Design Originals, Inc. et al v. QVC Group, Inc. et al, Case No. 2:26-cv-00912 (E.D. Pa.)
• Law.com Radar, case docket summary for Antthony Design Originals, Inc. v. QVC Group, Inc.

Sources

• BusinessWire, “Designer Antthony Mark Hankins Files Federal Lawsuit Following Termination of Long-Standing Retail Partnership”
• The Philadelphia Inquirer, “QVC Group sued for $30 million by designer Antthony Mark Hankins over his termination from HSN”
• Hoodline, “Savannah Fashion Fixture Slaps QVC and HSN With $30 Million Suit”
• LegalClarity, “QVC Lawsuit Update: Bankruptcy and Pending Cases”
• PacerMonitor, Antthony Design Originals, Inc. et al v. QVC Group, Inc. et al, Case No. 2:26-cv-00912 (E.D. Pa.)
• Law.com Radar, case docket summary for Antthony Design Originals, Inc. v. QVC Group, Inc.