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Disgraced ex-Congressman George Santos has sued Jimmy Kimmel, accusing the late-night host of “deceiving” him when he requested Cameo videos from him.
The former New York lawmaker sued Kimmel — as well as ABC and Disney — for copyright infringement, fraudulent inducement, breach of contract and unjust enrichment in federal court on Saturday.
Mr Santos previously bragged about making a fortune from his post-Congressman gig making personalised videos on Cameo. Now, he is seeking at least $750,000 in damages.
According to the filing, “unbeknownst to Santos,” Kimmel submitted 14 Cameo video requests “by providing phony names and narratives.”
Cameo offers two types of licenses — personal and business. “Neither of these licenses permits the Users to broadcast the videos on national television,” the suit says, adding that the videos made for Kimmel were allegedly subject to the personal use license restriction.
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The TV show host “falsely represented himself” and “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,” the suit states.
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“Defendants openly admitted to deceiving the Plaintiff under the guise of fandom, soliciting personalized videos only to then broadcast these on national television and across social media channels for commercial gain—actions that starkly violate the original agreement and constitute clear copyright infringement.”
Jimmy Kimmel Live! began airing the clips — and subsequently put them on YouTube — on 7 December and by 12 December, Mr Santos’s lawyer sent him and the companies a Cease and Desist Letter, demanding that they remove the content posted online.
The suit states that the late-night host even joked about getting sued by the ex-Congressman, saying being sued by Mr Santos would be a “dream come true.”
Mr Santos is asking for statutory damages of $150,000 per each alleged infringement and a permanent injunction on distributing or promoting these videos.
The Independent has reached out to a lawyer for Mr Santos and representatives for ABC and Disney.
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1/ 1George Santos sues Jimmy Kimmel for allegedly misusing Cameo videos
George Santos sues Jimmy Kimmel for allegedly misusing Cameo videos
Rep. George Santos (R-NY) talks to reporters outside the U.S. Capitol on November 30, 2023 in Washington, DC.
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