A New York man has sued Kim Kardashian for defamation after she mistakenly used his photo in an Instagram post about a Texas death row inmate with the same name, the New York Post reported.
The 44-year-old reality star and aspiring lawyer had shared a post about Ivan Cantu, a convicted murderer sentenced to death, as part of her criminal justice reform advocacy. However, instead of using the Texas inmate’s image, she mistakenly uploaded a picture of Ivan Cantu, a project manager from Westchester, to her 350 million Instagram followers.
Emotional Distress and Reputation Damage
The misidentified Cantu has filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court, claiming that the error subjected him to “hatred, contempt, and/or ridicule,” causing emotional distress and anxiety, NBC News reported. He is seeking unspecified damages, arguing that the incident harmed his reputation.
Michael Rhodes, Kardashian’s attorney, acknowledged the mistake, stating it was an unintentional error in her February 28, 2024, post while she was advocating against the execution.
Post Removed Quickly
“The State will execute Ivan Cantu in 2 days. Please sign the petition to demand that Collin County DA Greg Willis request to withdraw the execution date,” Kardashian had written in her post, which included a black-and-white image and a link to a MoveOn.org petition.
According to Rhodes, Kardashian deleted the photo almost immediately after realizing the mistake. He added that she had hoped to settle the matter privately but was prepared to defend herself in court if necessary.
Social Media’s Impact Questioned
Greg Sobo, Cantu’s lawyer, criticized Kardashian for not recognizing the “power of social media.”
“For too long, we have seen social media cause devastating injuries to innocent victims,” Sobo stated. “Social media is too often abused to bully the innocent, incite harm, and injure our communities. Just like those who cause physical harm should be held accountable, those who cause injuries to innocent victims through social media must also be held responsible.”
Sobo described Cantu as a “very private family man” and a father of two who was mourning a personal loss when the misidentification occurred. “Mr. Cantu’s privacy was destroyed at a most critical and sensitive time, and he has suffered a very real trauma that will last a lifetime,” he added, stating that multiple attempts were made to contact Kardashian’s team before the lawsuit was filed.
Texas Inmate Executed
Meanwhile, the Texas inmate, Ivan Cantu, was executed on February 28, 2024. He was convicted in 2001 for the murders of his cousin, James Mosqueda, and Mosqueda’s girlfriend, Amy Kitchen, who were shot in their home the previous yea
