Kim Kardashian is facing a new legal battle after a New York man her lawyers previously accused of filing a “meritless” lawsuit vowed to overturn a court order ordering him to pay her more than $167,000 in legal fees.
Ivan Cantu had originally sued the 45-year-old reality star after she accidentally shared his photo on social media in February 2024, mistakenly identifying him as a Texas death row inmate of the same name who was about to be executed.
Although the defamation suit was dismissed last November, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled Monday that Cantu must reimburse Kardashian for her legal costs, despite his claims that the bill would ruin him financially.
The dispute began when Kardashian, a high-profile advocate for criminal justice reform, posted the wrong Cantu’s snap to her 350 million followers.
While her team called it an “honest mistake” that was corrected almost immediately, the New York-based Cantu claimed the mix-up caused him lifelong trauma, anxiety and depression.
His lawyer, Greg Sobo, told him Daily Mail on Tuesday that they are proud to stand by an “innocent victim who was slandered,” adding that Monday’s ruling is just one step in the process of obtaining justice against the “rich and powerful.”
In the recent ruling, Judge Michael Small described Cantu’s argument that it was unfair to make him pay because Kardashian is rich and he is of modest means as “unavailable” on a legal basis.
The judge noted that income disparities were irrelevant to the statute, which entitles a prevailing party to recover reasonable attorneys’ fees.
Kardashian’s legal team has been adamant, stating that Cantu miscalculated in thinking he could “force a payout” based on her celebrity status, and that he must now face the consequences of his failed “gambit.”
However, the decision to aggressively pursue the $167,473.69 payment has sparked a backlash among fans and social media users.
On 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 over $1.9 billion.
Critics argued that while celebrities often do this to discourage frivolous lawsuits, Kardashian should have let this one go as her team “royally screwed up” by using the wrong man’s likeness in such a sensitive context.
As it stands, Cantu’s legal team remains confident the ruling will be overturned on appeal, insisting the current ruling violates California law.
Kardashian, who is currently linked to F1 driver Lewis Hamilton, has yet to comment personally on the ongoing friction.
For now, the case serves as a stark reminder of the enormous power of a single social media post and the very different realities of those caught in its wake.
