Hollywood superstar Jennifer Lopez is facing a new $300,000 lawsuit after posting photos of herself on Instagram — images taken by a professional photographer at the 2025 Golden Globe Awards. The lawsuit, filed by photographer Edwin Blanco and his agency Backgrid, alleges that Lopez shared the copyrighted photos without authorization and used them to promote her fashion collaborators.
According to the legal documents, the singer-actress posted two photos to her verified Instagram page, tagging her jewelry and clothing designers, in a move the plaintiffs argue served a commercial purpose. The photographer is demanding $150,000 in statutory damages per image, citing infringement of intellectual property rights.
The viral post, captioned “GG Weekend Glamour”, showcased Lopez’s stunning appearance on the red carpet, a moment captured by Blanco. While fans gushed over her look, the photo agency behind the shots saw a breach of copyright, asserting that Lopez did not seek permission or license to use the images, despite them being of herself.
This isn’t Lopez’s first encounter with copyright litigation. She was similarly sued in 2019 and 2020 for reposting professionally taken paparazzi photos to her personal platforms. In both cases, the claims centered around unauthorized usage of third-party images, regardless of the subject.
Copyright law in the U.S. typically favors the photographer unless a licensing agreement or fair use clause applies — even when the person featured in the photo is a global icon like Lopez. Experts note that many celebrities and influencers mistakenly believe they can post any image featuring themselves, which is not the case when the photographer owns the rights.
The case has sparked fierce online debate, with some siding with the photographer and others arguing that public figures should have more rights over their own likeness. Meanwhile, Lopez has not publicly responded to the lawsuit, and her Instagram post remains live at the time of filing this report.
As the legal battle unfolds, the lawsuit underscores the growing friction between celebrity branding and digital copyright laws — a complex space where even A-listers must tread carefully.
