Former Congressman George Santos (R-N.Y.) sued Jimmy Kimmel on Saturday over alleged misuse of Cameo videos the lawmaker has been making since being expelled from the House.
The former New York congressman filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, suing the late-night television host for fraud, breach of contract, unjust enrichment and copyright infringement. ABC and Disney were both also named as defendants in the lawsuit.
Kimmel requested at least 14 videos from Santos on Cameo, a video-sharing website where celebrities sell personalized videos.
Kimmel submitted requests by giving “phony names and narratives.” Those requests were sent from “fake User profiles” made by Kimmel as part of a “fraud,” according to the lawsuit.
The late-night show “falsely represented” himself as multiple users when requesting Santos’ Cameos, according to the lawsuit which was first reported by The New York Post. Santos is seeking at least $750,000 in damages.
“Kimmel chose the personal use licenses for all the Cameo Videos with the intention to violate such licenses by broadcasting and commercially exploiting the Cameo Videos on national television,” according to the filing.
Santos’s Cameo videos were first featured on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” in December, according to the lawsuit. It also says that Kimmel joked about being sued by Santos during a Dec. 11 episode of his late-night show.
“Could you imagine if I get sued by George Santos for a fraud,” Kimmel said at the time. “I mean how good would that be? It would be like a dream come true. So since I started buying his videos his rates went way up to $500 a piece. He should be thanking me for buying these videos.”
Santos’ lawyer sent a cease-and-desist letter to Kimmel on Dec. 12., demanding the videos be removed from TikTok and YouTube accounts connected to the late-night show.
Santos on Saturday said, related to the lawsuit filed, “Fuck around and find out.”
The Hill has reached out to Disney, ABC and Kimmel.
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Laura Davis is an entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to Broadway, she offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
