Miley Cyrus is being sued for posting a photo of herself on social media without reportedly having the rights to use it.
In a lawsuit filed Friday in a California federal court, photographer Robert Barbera claims that Cyrus did not have his permission to post the image on her Instagram in February, 2021, according to Bloomberg Law.
The infringing post boosted traffic to Cyrus' account and resulted in financial benefit by increasing revenue generated by the sale of her music, according to the complaint, cited by Bloomberg Law. The entertainer’s "impermissible use has crippled if not destroyed the potentiality of any market for the Photograph," Barbera claims via the outlet.
The photographer is seeking a jury trial as well as actual and statutory damages.
Earlier this year, Barbera also filed a lawsuit against Dua Lipa, claiming she shared one of his photos of herself on Instagram without his permission, according to NME. The outlet noted that Barbera is seeking damages and penalties for profits Lipa could have generated with the image on Instagram, which advertises her music, brand, and business interests.
The report stated that Barbera unsuccessfully tried to settle the matter outside of court with Lipa, who is among several pop stars to face similar lawsuits from Barbera.
Other musicians include Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber, who was also sued by another photographer, Josiah Kamau, this year for using one of his photos without authorization and "received a financial benefit" from doing so, according to Radar.
In his legal filing, Kamau states Bieber posted a Feb. 20 photo he had taken of the musician and his wife Hailey in New York on Instagram without offering financial compensation or obtaining permission to use the image. The suit claims Bieber engaged in infringement by posting the photo and he "received a financial benefit" by using it, Radar reported.
"As a result of [Bieber's] misconduct, [Kamau] has been substantially harmed," Kamau's lawyer wrote, according to Radar.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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