Don't Mess With Tom And Nicole

Actors Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman joined forces Wednesday to file a lawsuit against cosmetics chain Sephora USA, which they allege used their images without their consent.

The Superior Court lawsuit claims advertisements in 2001 for Sephora's "Celebrity Scents" created the misleading impression that the divorced couple "used, preferred, endorsed or sponsored Sephora's products."

The couple is pictured in an advertisement for the "L'eau down on celebrity sweethearts," which was used to promote Valentine's Day gifts.

"Tom & Nicole - The red carpet glamour of Hollywood's royal couple never fails to leave us with eyes wide open." The ad then lists products sold by Sephora that supposedly match the stars' individual personalities.

The lawsuit states that Cruise and Kidman were turned into "involuntary models without pay. Had they actually endorsed the products, the lawsuit states, they "would have been paid a very large sum of money."

The suit seeks $15 million in damages and asks the award be tripled because of alleged violations of the Lanham Act, the law designed to protect intellectual property rights such as patents, trademarks and copyrights.

Cruise and Kidman also are seeking punitive damages "considering the vast wealth and income of Sephora and its owner, Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton," their attorney Bertram Fields said. The French conglomerate owns San Francisco-based Sephora, with 70 retail stores.