Pop star and actress Jennifer Lopez is facing legal action after posting photos of herself online without securing permission from the copyright holders. The images, taken at a high-profile Hollywood party in January, have now become the centre of two lawsuits filed by celebrity photographer Edwin Blanco and the paparazzi agency Backgrid.
The photos in question were taken as Lopez arrived at the Amazon MGM Studios and Vanity Fair Golden Globes weekend party in Los Angeles. She later shared the glamorous images—showing her in a white dress and faux fur coat—on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) with the caption, “GG Weekend Glamour.” The posts were widely circulated by fan accounts and fashion pages, drawing significant attention.
However, Blanco and Backgrid claim that Lopez used the copyrighted images without obtaining a license. According to the legal filings, each party is seeking up to $150,000 (£112,000) in damages per image, arguing that Lopez used the photos to promote her public appearances, elevate her brand affiliations, and generate online engagement.
“Ms Lopez’s unauthorised use of the images is commercial in nature,” the lawsuits state. “For example, Ms Lopez used the images to spotlight the designer of her clothing and jewellery, leveraging the publicity from the event to promote her fashion affiliations and brand partnerships.”
Under copyright law, the person featured in a photo does not automatically own the rights to it; those rights typically belong to the photographer or the agency employing them. The lawsuits allege that while Lopez’s representatives were contacted and initially agreed to a licensing arrangement, the deal was never finalised and no payment has been made.
Lopez has yet to publicly respond to the allegations.
This isn’t the first time Lopez has encountered legal trouble for posting paparazzi photos. She faced similar lawsuits in 2019 and 2020. Other celebrities such as Dua Lipa, Gigi Hadid, and Khloe Kardashian have also been sued over unlicensed use of images taken by professional photographers.
The case underscores the ongoing tension between celebrity social media use and copyright protections in the age of digital content.
Chioma Kalu
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