Former Congressman George Santos Sues Jimmy Kimmel Over Cameo Prank, Seeking $750,000
ICARO Media Group
The lawsuit accuses Kimmel of using fake names to misrepresent himself and induce Santos to create videos intended to ridicule his personality through misuse of his Cameo videos. The complaint states that Kimmel played a game on his show, "Will Santos Say It?", where he submitted at least 14 requests using fake names and narratives, including having Santos congratulate a person for eating six pounds of ground beef in under 30 minutes. Santos' attorney, Robert Fantone, called Kimmel's actions a clear violation of copyright law. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. district court for the Southern district of New York, alleges that despite using a "personal use" license on Cameo, the videos were intended for broadcast on television. Representatives for ABC, Disney, and Kimmel have not responded to requests for comment. Santos, who was expelled from the House of Representatives last year, faced fraud, money laundering, and theft charges.