Kim Kardashian called out for demanding $145k in legal fees from man she mistakenly identified as death row inmate
Kim Kardashian is facing pushback as she's demanding a New York man she misidentified as death row inmate amid a criminal justice crusade pay back the legal fees she piled up after he sued her.Ivan Cantu, a native of Westchester, New York, asked a court to nix a $145,000 financial demand from Kardashian, 45, whose net worth has been estimated at upward of $1.9 billion.Cantu, in a Thursday filing reviewed by the Daily Mail, claimed Kardashian 'labeled him a criminal to her 350+ million followers ... at a very sensitive time in his life, causing anxiety and depression.'Cantu said that Kardashian was 'born and raised in great wealth and luxury' and 'enjoys substantial income and wealth through sponsors of her social media posts due to a large number of followers.'While some of her posts may concern social causes, most of her posts published sponsored products and services and celebrity news.'The incident unfolded in February of 2024, when Kardashian erroneously posted a picture on her social media of Cantu - who shared the same name with the Texas death row inmate subsequently executed following his conviction in a 2000 double murder. Kim Kardashian is facing pushback as she's demanding a New York man she misidentified amid a criminal justice crusade pay back the legal fees she racked up after he sued her. Pictured in Paris in 2023 Cantu sued Kardashian, telling the court in a February 2025 filing that the Keeping Up with the Kardashians star 'published and disseminated false information' about him that injured his reputation.Read More Kim Kardashian wins defamation case after posting WRONG man's photo as death row inmate He said Kardashian's posting of the wrong picture on such an important issue 'was clearly untrue, erroneous, unfounded, shocking, scandalous, degrading, disgraceful, and/or shameful.'Attorneys for Kardashian told The Daily Mail the misidentification was a 'simple mistake' that sprung from 'Kim’s longstanding commitment to the cause of criminal justice reform.'They added: 'The image was taken down almost immediately once the error was discovered.' Cantu ultimately sued Kardashian claiming libel, emotional distress, slander, invasion of privacy, negligence and being portrayed in a false light, asking the court to award compensatory and punitive damages.Cantu's attorney Greg Sobo subsequently said in a statement to the Daily Mail that it was incumbent on Kardashian to 'know the power of social media.'Sobo said, 'For too long, we have seen social media cause devastating injuries to innocent victims. Social media is too often abused to bully the innocent, incite harm, and injure our communities.'The lawyer continued, '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.' Join the discussionShould celebrities be held financially responsible when their social media mistakes harm ordinary people? Cantu said Kardashian's posting of the wrong picture on such an important issue 'was clearly untrue, erroneous, unfounded, shocking, scandalous, degrading, disgraceful, and/or shameful' The Texas death row inmate with the same name was subsequently executed on February 28, 2024 following his conviction in a 2000 double murderSobo noted that Cantu is a 'very private family man with two daughters' who had been dealing with a personal tragedy in his life at the time Kardashian posted his picture to social media.'As a result of the Kardashian abuse, Mr. Cantu’s privacy was destroyed at a most critical and sensitive time, and he has suffered very real trauma that will last a lifetime,' the lawyer said.A federal judge dismissed the case, paving the way for Kardashian - who is currently linked to F1 driver Lewis Hamilton - to seek recoupment with her legal filing.'The hitch for the plaintiff is that he failed to provide out that he suffered any injury as a result of Kardashian's misappropriation of his likeness,' the judge said in the court ruling last year.
