Kim Kardashian faces a new legal battle after a New York man, whom her lawyers previously accused of filing a “meritless” lawsuit, vowed to overturn a court order requiring him to pay her more than $167,000 in legal fees.
Iván Cantú had originally sued the 45-year-old reality star after she accidentally shared his photo on social media in February 2024, misidentifying him as a Texas death row inmate with the same name who was about to be executed.
Although the defamation case was dismissed last November, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled Monday that Cantú must reimburse Kardashian for her legal costs, despite his claims that the bill would destroy him financially.
The dispute began when Kardashian, a prominent advocate for criminal justice reform, posted the wrong photo of Cantú to her 350 million followers.
While his team called it an “honest mistake” that was corrected almost immediately, the New York-based Cantú argued that the mix-up caused him lifelong trauma, anxiety and depression.
His attorney, Greg Sobo, told daily mail Tuesday that they are proud to stand with an “innocent victim who was slandered,” adding that Monday’s ruling is simply one step in the process of obtaining justice against the “rich and powerful.”
In the recent ruling, Judge Michael Small described Cantú’s argument, that it was unfair to make him pay because Kardashian is rich and he has modest resources, as legally “pointless.”
The judge noted that the income disparities were irrelevant to the law, which entitles the prevailing party to recover reasonable attorneys’ fees.
Kardashian’s legal team has been steadfast, claiming that Cantú miscalculated by thinking she could “force a payout” based on her celebrity status, and that she must now face the consequences of her failed “gambit.”
However, the decision to aggressively pursue the $167,473.69 payout has sparked a backlash among fans and social media users.
In a Kardashian-themed subreddit, the star was described as “petty” and “greedy” for chasing such a sum from a private family man when her own net worth is estimated at more than $1.9 billion.
Critics argued that while celebrities often do this to discourage frivolous lawsuits, Kardashian should have let it slide given that her team “really messed up” by using the wrong man’s image in such a sensitive context.
As things stand, Cantú’s legal team remains confident that the order will be overturned on appeal, insisting that the current ruling is inconsistent with California law.
Kardashian, who is currently linked to F1 driver Lewis Hamilton, has yet to personally comment on the current friction.
For now, the case serves as a stark reminder of the immense power of a single social media post and the very different realities of those caught in its wake.
