A New York man is suing Kim Kardashian for slander after she accidentally used his photo in an Instagram post about a Texas death row inmate who shared the same name, court papers show.
Kardashian, a 44-year-old aspiring lawyer, wrote about the death penalty punishment of convicted murderer Ivan Cantu in a post advocating for criminal justice reform.
But instead of including a picture of the Lone State State prisoner, she shared one of a different Ivan Cantu — a projected manager from Westchester — with her more than 350 million Instagram followers.
He filed suit in Los Angeles Superior Court against the Skims founder, claiming he’s faced “hatred, contempt and/or ridicule” ever since the snafu — causing him him emotional distress and anxiety, according to a report by NBC News.
Cantu is suing for unspecified damages, claiming his reputation has been harmed.
“The Kardashians” star’s lawyer, Michael Rhodes, told the outlet the social media star made a “simple mistake” with the Feb. 28, 2024 post while she was 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 in the post, along with a black-and-white photo of Cantu and a link to a moveon.org petition.
Once Kardashian realized the error, the photo “was taken down almost immediately,” Rhodes said.
The reality-TV celebrity would have preferred to settle the mix-up out of court but she’ll defend herself if she must, her attorney said.
Cantu’s lawyer, Greg Sobo, said Kardashian of all people should be acutely 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.
“Social media is too often abused to bully the innocent, incite harm, and injure our communities,” he said. “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.”
Sobo described his client as a father of two and a “very private family man.” The lawyer said at the time of the botched post, Cantu had been 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 also claimed he’d attempted to reach Kardashian’s team several times to no avail before finally filing suit.
The Texas Cantu was executed on Feb. 28, 2024 on a 2001 conviction in the murders of his cousin James Mosqueda and Mosqueda’s girlfriend, Amy Kitchen, who were shot inside their home the year prior.