Former Rep. George Santos has filed a civil lawsuit against Jimmy Kimmel, accusing the late-night television host of utilizing fake names to request personalized videos from Santos on Cameo, then misusing them on his show.
Santos is suing Kimmel for copyright infringement, fraud, breach of contract, and unjust enrichment, seeking at least $750,000 in damages.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleges that Kimmel submitted requests for personalized videos on Cameo using phony names and narratives.
These requests were sent from fake user profiles created by Kimmel as part of the alleged fraud. Santos claims that Kimmel intentionally chose personal use licenses for the Cameo videos with the intention of violating those licenses by broadcasting and commercially exploiting the videos on national television.
George Santos and Jimmy Kimmel (Credits: Entertainment Weekly)
According to the lawsuit, Kimmel began using the videos on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” in December, featuring them in a segment titled “Will Santos Say It?”
During the show, Kimmel reportedly mentioned Santos having a new gig making videos on Cameo for $400 each and stated that he couldn’t resist sending Santos ridiculous requests.
The lawsuit also notes a segment where Kimmel joked about the possibility of being sued by Santos for fraud. Kimmel mentioned that since he started buying Santos’s videos, the rates went up to $500 each.
Santos’s lawyer sent a cease-and-desist letter to Kimmel on December 12, demanding the removal of the videos from YouTube and TikTok accounts associated with the show.
As of now, representatives for Kimmel, ABC, and Disney, all named as defendants, have not responded to requests for comment on the lawsuit.
The case raises questions about the use of personalized content obtained through platforms like Cameo and the boundaries of fair use in broadcasting such content on national television without the individual’s consent.
