Former Rep. George Santos Sues Jimmy Kimmel for Copyright Infringement and Fraud
ICARO Media Group
Former U.S. Rep. George Santos has filed a civil lawsuit against late-night television host Jimmy Kimmel, accusing him of using fake names to request personalized video messages from celebrities on the site Cameo, including Santos, and then misusing them on his show. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and seeks at least $750,000 in damages. According to the lawsuit, Kimmel submitted 14 requests for clips on Cameo using phony names and narratives, and then used the videos on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" without permission, allegedly violating personal use licenses. Representatives for Kimmel, ABC, and Disney, all named as defendants, have not yet responded to requests for comment. The lawsuit states that Kimmel began featuring the videos on his show in December, prompting Santos to send a cease and desist letter and demand the removal of the videos from YouTube and TikTok. The lawsuit claims that during an episode of the show, Kimmel joked about the possibility of being sued by Santos and played additional videos despite the legal warning.