Global pop icon and actress Jennifer Lopez is facing a federal lawsuit after posting paparazzi photos of herself on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) without securing permission from the photographer or the agency that owns the copyright.
The lawsuit, filed by photographer Edwin Blanco and the well-known paparazzi agency Backgrid, alleges that Lopez violated copyright law when she shared images of herself arriving at the Amazon MGM Studios and Vanity Fair Party in Los Angeles the night before the 2024 Golden Globe Awards in January.
The images, which Lopez captioned “GG Weekend Glamour,” were later widely reposted by fan pages and fashion accounts across multiple platforms. However, Blanco and Backgrid assert that Lopez did not license the images or obtain authorization to use them on her verified social media accounts.
The plaintiffs are seeking up to $150,000 in statutory damages per photograph under the Copyright Act, citing unauthorized reproduction and public display of the images.
This is not the first time a celebrity has faced legal action for sharing images of themselves online. Under U.S. copyright law, the photographer—not the subject—typically owns the rights to candid or paparazzi photos.
As a result, high-profile figures like Justin Bieber, Gigi Hadid, Khloé Kardashian, and Ariana Grande have previously been hit with similar lawsuits.
Legal experts note that these cases highlight ongoing tensions between celebrity culture, fan engagement, and copyright enforcement in the digital age.
While many stars assume that reposting or sharing an image of themselves is harmless, the courts have often ruled in favor of copyright holders.
As of publication, Jennifer Lopez has not publicly commented on the lawsuit.
