A social media star nicknamed the “internet’s hot best friend” is suing the British fitness brand Gymshark for about £775,500 over allegations it scrapped a lucrative sponsorship agreement after her support for Israel attracted criticism online.

Alix Earle, 24, the daughter of a construction magnate from New Jersey, rose to prominence four years ago by posting candid videos about fashion, beauty and her personal life. She now has seven million followers on TikTok, four million on Instagram, and a reputation for making products sell out within minutes with a single post.

Gymshark is the Solihull-based sportswear group that Ben Francis started from his parents’ garage in 2012 when he was 19 years old, studying by day and delivering pizza by night. Today, the 32-year-old is