Jennifer Lopez is facing a lawsuit for something that seems pretty harmless at first glance – posting a few glam snaps of herself at a party. But when you’re one of the most recognisable stars on the planet, even sharing a picture on Instagram can land you in legal hot water.
The singer and actress had uploaded a couple of stunning shots from her night out at the Amazon MGM Studios and Vanity Fair bash in LA, held the evening before this year’s Golden Globes. Rocking a white dress and a faux fur coat, she captioned the post “GG Weekend Glamour” – and, as you’d expect, the photos went viral across fan accounts and fashion pages alike.
But now, the photographer who took the images, Edwin Blanco, and the paparazzi agency he works with, Backgrid, are both suing J.Lo for using the pictures without their permission. They argue that even though the photos are of her, they actually own the rights, and they’re demanding up to $150,000 (£112,000) for each image she posted, reported the Los Angeles Times.
According to the legal documents, they claim Lopez used the snaps to promote herself, boost her engagement on social media, and show off her fashion choices, including the designers behind her outfit and jewellery. In their words, the posts were “commercial in nature,” meant to highlight her style affiliations and brand deals.
The lawsuits say she didn’t just share the images to look fabulous online – they were meant to generate buzz and support her public image and partnerships. And while it might seem strange that someone can’t post a photo of themselves, copyright law is pretty clear: the rights belong to whoever took the picture, not the person in it.
Apparently, after the photos went up, Backgrid and Blanco reached out to Lopez’s team and even agreed on a deal for payment. But according to them, she hasn’t signed anything yet, which is why the legal action’s now rolling ahead. The BBC says it’s contacted Lopez’s reps for a comment but hasn’t heard back.
This isn’t J.L.O.’s first brush with this kind of trouble either – she’s previously been sued in 2019 and again in 2020 for similar posts. And she’s not alone. Celebs like Dua Lipa, Gigi Hadid, and Khloe Kardashian have all been in the same boat, finding out the hard way that even your own red carpet moment might come with a hefty price tag.