Jennifer Lopez is being sued for posting photos of herself taken by a paparazzi photographer who didn’t give the superstar permission to use those images.
Shutterbug Edwin Blanco and his photo agency, BackGrid USA, claim they own the rights to two shots J.Lo posted on Instagram showing her looking glamorous at a Golden Globe Awards after-party in January, according to Billboard.
The plaintiffs’ attorney contends J.Lo’s use of the photos was “commercial in nature” because she used them to promote herself and advantage her brand partnerships. The designer of the faux fur coat Lopez wore in the photos reportedly reposted the image.
A settlement agreement between the 55-year-old Bronx native and the parties suing her was allegedly reached after her team was contacted about the copyright infringement claim. But the photo agency and its photographer claim they never received compensation.
Attorney Peter Perkowski, who represents Blanco and BackGrid, said in his filing that he had a similar dealing with Lopez in 2019 when she allegedly used one of his client’s photos without permission. That matter was reportedly dismissed voluntarily in 2020.
The plaintiffs in this case could by law receive as much as $150,000 per wrongfully used photo, according to Billboard. Lopez hasn’t addressed the claim.
Why Is Jennifer Lopez Being Sued by Paparazzi? Controversy Explained
Wondering why Jennifer Lopez is being sued again, and how paparazzi photos ignited a legal battle? The pop icon has found herself at the center of yet another copyright infringement controversy, and this time, it involves two professional photographers who claim she used the images without permission.
Why is Jennifer Lopez getting sued by paparazzi?
Jennifer Lopez sued once again, and this time it is for allegedly posting two paparazzi photos to her social media without securing proper licensing rights.
The images, taken outside the Amazon MGM Studios x Vanity Fair Golden Globes pre-party at LA’s Bar Marmont on January 4, became the basis of two separate lawsuits filed on May 17 by photographer Edwin Blanco and the photo agency BackGrid USA.
According to the complaint, Lopez put herself into hot water by uploading the pictures to her Instagram and X accounts the following day without authorization. The lawsuit claims that her post triggered reposts by fan pages and even fashion brands. This includes the designer of the faux fur coat she was wearing in the photos.
Attorney Peter Perkowski, representing Blanco and BackGrid, stated that Lopez’s use of the images served a promotional purpose. The “unauthorized use of the Images is commercial in nature,” he explained. He argues that Jennifer Lopez leveraged the event’s exposure to boost her fashion affiliations and brand deals. (via Billboard)
The legal filings reveal that BackGrid and Blanco’s reps reached out to Lopez’s team shortly after the incident. While they initially reached a verbal settlement, Lopez allegedly failed to sign a written agreement or follow through with the payment.
This isn’t the first time Jennifer Lopez has been sued for copyright infringement. In 2019, she faced similar legal action for posting a paparazzi photo with her then-partner Alex Rodriguez. That case was dismissed voluntarily, but Perkowski argues it should have served as a warning.
He further claims that Lopez has shown a “willful disregard” for the copyright act. This allows for damages of up to $150,000 per photo. As of now, neither Jennifer Lopez nor her representatives have publicly responded.
Jennifer Lopez sued in copyright case for posting photos of herself to social media
A photographer and photo agency filed a lawsuit against Jennifer Lopez alleging copyright infringement after the actor and singer allegedly posted copyrighted photos of herself from a pre-Golden Globes party to social media.
In the complaint, filed Saturday in federal court, photographer Edwin Blanco accuses Lopez of posting photos of her arriving and departing from the January event on Instagram and X without permission. Backgrid USA, a news and photo agency, filed a twin suit related to the same photographs, which the company and Blanco co-own, according to court documents.
The photos, which as of Tuesday remained on her Instagram and X with no visible watermark, show her in white fur coat and slip dress, clutching a Chanel purse. The post on Instagram is captioned “Weekend Glamour.”
A representative for Lopez did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on Tuesday.
The lawsuit alleges that the “Let’s Get Loud” singer posted the photos to market designers she wore at the event. Blanco and Backgrid did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. But in a statement to Billboard, attorney Peter Perkowski, who represents Blanco and Backgrid, claims that Lopez’s use was “commercial in nature.”
“For example, Ms. Lopez used the images to spotlight the designer of her clothing and jewelry,” he told Billboard. “Leveraging the publicity from the event to promote her fashion affiliations and brand partnerships.”
He also told the outlet that both parties had “fruitful discussions” in the weeks after the photos were posted, with Lopez’s team orally agreeing to a monetary settlement. But when the papers arrived, Perkowski says she didn’t sign them and has not yet paid the agreed sum.
Backgrid and Blanco are seeking statutory damages up to $150,000 for each photo used as well as a jury trial, according to the lawsuit.
Lopez faced legal action in 2019 and 2020 for allegedly sharing photos of her taken by others. In 2020, her production company Nuyorican Productions was also sued for $40 million by a woman who inspired Lopez’s character in the film “Hustlers.”
Jennifer Lopez Opens Up About the ‘Guilt’ She Felt Being a Working Mom When Her Kids Were Younger
The singer shares her twins Emme and Max with ex Marc Anthony
Jennifer Lopez is opening up about some of the mom guilt she felt when her kids were younger.
The singer, 55, spoke with Spanish newspaper El País ahead of her new Up All Night Tour and shared that when her twins Emme and Max, now 17, were younger, they “didn’t get as much of me” as they might’ve wanted, since Lopez was trying to balance her career and being a mom.
“I was a working mom when they were little. They probably didn’t get as much of me as they wanted, right?” Lopez told the outlet.
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“Because when you’re a working mom — and so many working moms out there know this — you always have that guilt,” she continued. “‘I should have been around more. I shouldn’t have left at all. I should’ve just stayed home.’ But they got the experience that they got. And you always do your best as a mom.”
“Looking back on it, it was an amazing experience,” the mom of two continued. “And I was glad that I was able to take them around the world. They were on tour with me. They would go to American Idol with me.”
In March, The Boy Next Door actress stepped out with Emme at her side as they attended the opening night of Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal‘s new revival of Othello.
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In photos taken outside of the Barrymore Theatre in New York City, the duo wore coordinating dark looks. Lopez sported a navy two-piece outfit from designer Zuhair Murad’s fall-winter 2024 couture collection. The look included a midriff-baring top and a floor-length skirt, both of which featured a sparkly pattern of bedazzled stones. She paired her look with a black fur statement coat and silver circular earrings, and had her hair styled in a tight bun.
Emme, meanwhile, opted for a black and white pinstriped suit with a printed tie and a gray button-down shirt, along with chunky black loafers. The teen also wore a pair of black eyeglasses and gold earrings.
Lopez recently celebrated her twins’ 17th birthday with a sweet video tribute on Instagram. The video contains photos and videos of the family from throughout the years. A few of the moments included in the montage are a clip of the trio posing for photos on a tire swing, Lopez embracing her kids backstage, and a selfie of them curled up in a restaurant booth.
“Seventeen. I love you beyond forever ????????,” Lopez captioned the post.
Jennifer Lopez Sued For $150,000 Over Sharing Her Own Image On Social Media, Here’s Why
On The Floor singer, Jennifer Lopez is being sued for allegedly posting paparazzi photos of herself without obtaining the required copyright permission.
Hollywood star Jennifer Lopez is making headlines again after facing legal trouble over her recent social media post. According to Blast, the I’m Into You singer is being sued for allegedly sharing paparazzi photos of herself without taking the required copyright licences.
Jennifer Lopez sued by paparazzi
A photographer and a photo agency have filed a lawsuit against Jennifer Lopez after she allegedly shared copyrighted photos of herself from a pre-Golden Globes party on her social media.
Photographer Edwin Blanco reportedly filed the complaint in federal court on Saturday, claiming that Lopez posted pictures of her arrival and departure from the January event on Instagram and X without obtaining permission, accusing her of copyright infringement. Backgrid USA, a news and photo agency, also filed a similar lawsuit concerning the same images, which court documents state are co-owned by Blanco and Backgrid.
The photos, still visible on her Instagram and X as of Tuesday without watermarks, depict Lopez wearing a white dress and a white faux fur coat outside Chateau Marmont. The Instagram post features the caption “Weekend Glamour.”
How much this lawsuit might cost to Jennifer Lopez?
Blanco and Backgrid are demanding damages of up to $150,000 (£112,000) for each photo. The lawsuits reportedly stated that Lopez used the images without authorisation for commercial purposes, primarily to promote herself.
“Ms Lopez, for example, showcased the images to highlight the designer of her clothing and jewellery, using the event’s publicity to promote her fashion affiliations and brand partnerships,” the lawsuits explained, as per BBC. Typically, the copyright of a photo belongs to the photographer or their employer, not the person featured in the image. These rights holders determine who can use the photo and set the associated costs.
A representative for Lopez did not immediately reply to the case. This isn’t the first time the Selena actress has faced legal issues for sharing photos of herself. Similar lawsuits were filed against her in 2019 and 2020 for posting images taken by others.
Other celebrities, such as Dua Lipa, Gigi Hadid, and Khloe Kardashian, have also encountered similar legal disputes.
Of Course Jennifer Lopez Topped Her Picnic-Ready Mother’s Day Outfit with a $1,000 Straw Hat by Dior
Lopez wore a gingham-print dress for the occasion
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Jennifer Lopez celebrated her Mother’s Day in style.
On Sunday, May 11, the “Love Don’t Cost a Thing” singer took to Instagram to wish her followers a happy Mother’s Day this year, and got dressed up in a picnic-ready outfit for the day’s festivities.
In the carousel post, Lopez, 55, wore a spring-appropriate ensemble consisting of Reformation’s Tagliatelle Linen Dress ($278) in a blush gingham print. The top of the dress featured a square neckline that showed off a hint of cleavage, while the skirt portion of the dress cinched in at the waist and flared into a full midi skirt.
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She accessorized the look with a gold bracelet worn on her left hand and paired the chic dress with a pair of high-priced accessories — on her head, she wore the Dior raffia hat that once retailed for over $1,000 on TheRealReal. She paired the hat with the matching Christian Dior panier chapeau hand raffia crossbody bag to complete the look.
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For the special day, the singer kept her glam soft — Lopez wore her highlighted brunette locks in a loosely gathered ponytail underneath the hat and made her brown eyes pop with a subtle dark brown smokey eyeshadow. Lopez completed her makeup with a nude pink, ombré lip to match the shade of the dress.
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“A most beautiful Mother’s Day to all the mamas out there ???? Wishing everyone love, laughter, peace, joy and happiness,” she captioned the set of photos, which included a table display filled with three vases of flowers. A framed picture of her twin children, Max and Emme, was also placed on the table for the photo shoot.
Elsewhere on the pop star’s Instagram, she shared photos of her with her children and her mother, Guadalupe Rodríguez, to her Instagram Stories.
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The gingham-printed look that Lopez wore for Mother’s Day showed off a different facet of her style. Last week on May 5, Lopez took to Instagram on the same day as the Met Gala — which she notably did not attend — and revealed an athleisure outfit that showed off her toned abs.
The singer wore a light heather gray cropped sweatshirt with a pair of forest green high-waist Alo Yoga leggings ($118). The sweatshirt, which was cropped and fell just below the singer’s bust, let her toned torso be the focus of the picture.
“Push today so you glow tomorrow,” she captioned the image.
Lopez’s Mother’s Day celebrations serve as one last relaxing day with family before her preparations for the American Music Awards kick into high gear. The star is set to pull double duty at the 2025 AMAs this year, acting as both host and performer when it airs May 26 on CBS.
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