What started as a wrong photo posted on Kim Kardashian’s social media eventually turned into a lengthy legal fight. Now, the case has ended with a judge ordering Ivan Cantu to pay her $167,473.69 in legal fees. This comes after Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Small rejected his claims.
Ivan Cantu must pay Kim Kardashian huge sum after photo mix-up case
The issue began in February 2024 when Kim Kardashian posted about Texas death row inmate Ivan “Abner” Cantu online. However, the image attached to the post showed a different man who shared the same name.
The post was later deleted. Still, Cantu claimed the damage had already been done. In court filings, Cantu claimed Kardashian “published and disseminated false information.” According to the Daily Mail, that damaged his reputation. He also argued that she had “labeled him a criminal to her 350+ million followers” during what he described as “a very sensitive time in his life.”
Cantu later sued Kardashian in 2025. His attorney, Greg Sobo, said celebrities should understand “the power of social media,” adding, “Social media is too often abused to bully the innocent, incite harm, and injure our communities.”
Still, the case did not move forward in court. A federal judge dismissed it in November 2024, ruling that Cantu failed to provide evidence showing he suffered actual harm from the brief posting error. The decision later cleared the way for Kardashian to recover her legal fees under California law.
Part of Kardashian’s request was reduced before the final amount landed at more than $167,000. Her lawyers described the case as “clearly meritless” and argued Cantu wrongly believed Kardashian’s fame would pressure her into a payout. They also maintained the upload was “a simple mistake” connected to Kardashian’s prison reform advocacy.
In recent years, Kardashian has become increasingly involved in prison reform efforts. She notably helped push for Alice Marie Johnson’s release in 2018. The SKIMS founder later passed California’s “baby bar” exam in 2021 while continuing her law studies.
