Kim Kardashian is facing a defamation lawsuit after mistakenly posting a photo of a New York man on her Instagram last year, wrongly identifying him as a death row inmate convicted of a double homicide in Texas.
At the time, Kardashian shared a black-and-white headshot of the man with the caption: “The state will execute Ivan Cantu in 2 days.” She urged her followers to sign a petition requesting Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis to halt the execution.
The lawsuit, filed earlier this week in Los Angeles by Ivan A. Cantu, alleges that Kardashian’s post caused him significant emotional distress and public embarrassment by displaying his image to millions of followers.
The real Ivan Cantu, who was convicted of murder, was executed by lethal injection on February 28, 2024. However, the man featured in Kardashian’s post, a resident of Middletown, New York, remains alive.
Greg Sobo, the attorney representing Mr. Cantu, stated: “At the time Kim Kardashian defamed his reputation, he was grieving a very private family loss. 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.”
He further emphasized the power of social media, stating: “Social media is a powerful force. It can be used for good: to spark social change, to warn of danger and to foster relationships. But, when abused, social media can also inflict pain, suffering and tragedy.”
Kardashian Speaks Up
Addressing the mix-up, Kim Kardashian’s lawyer, Michael Rhodes, defended her intentions, stating that despite the mistake, she meant well.
“It was a simple mistake of using the public photo of another man with the same name to promote Kim’s longstanding commitment to the cause of criminal justice reform,” he told Rolling Stone.
In recent years, Kardashian has emerged as a prominent advocate for prison reform. She gained widespread recognition for her activism after successfully lobbying President Donald Trump to commute the life sentence of Alice Marie Johnson, who had been imprisoned for a non-violent drug offense.
