Global superstar Jennifer Lopez is facing a new legal battle after allegedly posting paparazzi photos of herself without permission. The lawsuit, filed by photographer Edwin Blanco and paparazzi agency Backgrid, accuses the singer and actress of copyright infringement.
The photos in question were taken outside the Amazon MGM Studios and Vanity Fair pre-Golden Globes party at the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles this January. Lopez later shared the images on her Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) accounts with the caption, “GG Weekend Glamour.”
According to the legal filings, the images were used to promote J.Lo’s personal brand, enhance social media engagement, and showcase fashion partnerships. The plaintiffs argue that Lopez never received proper licensing to publish the photos.
“Ms Lopez’s unauthorised use of the images is commercial in nature, intended for the purpose of self-promotion,” the lawsuit states. “She 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.”
Each plaintiff is seeking up to $150,000 in damages per photo, citing violations of federal copyright law.
Legal experts note that being the subject of a photo does not grant copyright ownership. Instead, the rights typically belong to the photographer or agency. In this case, both Blanco and Backgrid assert that they made attempts to resolve the issue amicably by offering a licensing agreement, which Lopez’s team allegedly agreed to — but has yet to sign.
The photos have since been reshared widely by fan pages and fashion outlets, further amplifying the publicity around the alleged infringement.
This case adds to a growing list of celebrities—including Gigi Hadid, Khloé Kardashian, and Justin Bieber—who have also faced lawsuits for sharing photos of themselves without proper licensing.
