Last February, reality TV star Kim Kardashian found herself in hot water after mistakenly sharing a photo of a man named Ivan Cantu on social media, claiming he was a death row inmate in Texas facing imminent execution. However, it turned out that the Cantu in the photo was actually a resident of Westchester, N.Y., who had not been sentenced to death for a double murder. This mix-up led to a lawsuit against Kardashian for defamation, as revealed in an unfiled civil complaint submitted to the Los Angeles Superior Court.
The complaint filed by Cantu accuses Kardashian of causing him severe mental and emotional trauma by sharing an unauthorized photo of him with her massive following of over 350 million Instagram users. The confusion arose because Cantu shares the same name as the actual Texas death row inmate who was executed by lethal injection just two days after Kardashian’s post. The late Cantu had been convicted of the murders of his cousin and his cousin’s fiancée in 2000, despite maintaining his innocence until his death.
In defense of her actions, Kardashian’s lawyer Michael Rhodes claimed that the post was a simple mistake, made with the intention of highlighting Kardashian’s commitment to criminal justice reform. The Instagram post included a photo of the wrong Cantu and a link to a petition urging the Collin County district attorney to halt the impending execution. Rhodes clarified that the image was promptly removed once the error was discovered, but Cantu argues that the damage had already been done.
Although the post was taken down, Cantu alleges that it still caused irreparable harm to his reputation and exposed him to unwarranted hate and contempt by falsely labeling him as a murderer. The complaint outlines the various forms of emotional distress Cantu has endured as a result of the mix-up, including anxiety, loss of sleep, nightmares, and even the need for medical care and emotional counseling. In response, Cantu is seeking compensatory and punitive damages from Kardashian for libel, slander, intentional infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy, negligence, and portraying him in a false light.
Despite this legal debacle, Kardashian’s foray into criminal justice reform dates back to around 2017 when she first became involved in advocating for inmates’ rights. One of her most notable cases was that of Alice Marie Johnson, a woman serving a life sentence for a nonviolent drug offense. Kardashian’s efforts eventually paid off when she successfully convinced then-President Trump to grant Johnson clemency in 2018. Since then, the celebrity has continued to use her platform to push for justice reform, including advocating on behalf of the Menendez brothers, whom she believes deserve to be resentenced and released.
As the legal battle between Kardashian and Cantu unfolds, it remains to be seen how this incident will impact both parties involved. Kardashian, who is currently studying to become a lawyer, will likely face scrutiny for this misstep in her ongoing advocacy efforts. Cantu, on the other hand, seeks not only financial redress but also the restoration of his tarnished reputation in the aftermath of this unfortunate case of mistaken identity. Only time will tell how this saga will ultimately conclude.
