Kim Kardashian is being sued by a New York man after she accidentally used his photo, instead of a death row inmate’s. The man and the inmate shared the same name – Ivan Cantu.
Before Cantu’s execution, Kardashian shared a social media post about the death penalty, advocating for criminal justice reform. However, instead of using the prisoner’s photo, she used that of a different Ivan Cantu – a project manager from Westchester. The post was shared on Instagram, where Kardashian has millions of followers.
Cantu the project manager filed suit in Los Angeles Superior Court against Kardashian, claiming he has faced “hatred, contempt and/or ridicule” ever since the Skims founder messed up her Instagram post. He added that the incident has left him in anxiety and emotional distress, NBC News reported. Cantu is now suing for unspecified damages, alleging that his reputation has been harmed.
‘Mr. Cantu’s privacy was destroyed at a most critical and sensitive time’
Kardashian’s lawyer, Michael Rhodes, said that the celebrity made a “simple mistake” with the post on February 28, 204, while trying to promote her “longstanding commitment to the cause of criminal justice reform.” “The State will execute Ivan Cantu in 2 days. Please sign the petition to demand that Colin County DA Greg Willis request to withdraw the execution date,” Kardashian had written, sharing a black-and-white photo of Cantu and a link to a moveon.org petition.
Rhodes said that the picture “was taken down almost immediately” after Kardashian realised her mistake. Cantu’s lawyer, Greg Sobo, said Kardashian should be highly aware of the “power of social media.” “For too long, we have seen social media cause devastating injuries to innocent victims,” Sobo said in a statement, according to New York Post.
“Social media is too often abused to bully the innocent, incite harm, and injure our communities,” he added. “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.”
Describing Cantu as a father of two and a “very private family man,” Sobo said at the time of the post, his client was in mourning. “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,” Sobo said.
Sobo added that he tried to contact Kardashian’s team multiple times, but to no avail, before finally filing the lawsuit.
Texas inmate Cantu, accused of shooting two people including his cousin dead, was executed by lethal injection on February 28 last year. He had maintained his innocence, alleging he was accused based on false testimony and questionable evidence. Cantu was executed at the state penitentiary in Huntsville for fatally shooting his cousin, James Mosqueda, 27, and Mosqueda’s 22-year-old girlfriend, Amy Kitchen, in November 2000.