Kim Kardashian is now caught in a legal controversy involving a serious case of mistaken identity on Instagram. A man named Ivan Cantu, a New York project manager, has filed a lawsuit against the reality star. He claims she used his photo by mistake in a 2024 post supporting another Ivan Cantu, a death row inmate who was convicted of murder in 2001.

Emotional Toll on the Plaintiff

According to US Weekly, the plaintiff alleges that the incident caused him emotional distress. He claims to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and insomnia as a result. His image reportedly appeared in a widely shared Instagram story that aimed to advocate clemency for the inmate just days before his execution.

Kim Kardashian’s Response and Apology

Kim’s legal team quickly responded to the lawsuit by acknowledging the error. They explained that between February 16 and 26, 2024, Kardashian posted about 16 Instagram stories related to the inmate's case. One of these stories, shared on February 26—just two days before the execution—accidentally used a photo of the wrong Ivan Cantu.

The mistake, they said, was corrected within hours. Kardashian’s team deleted the story and issued a public apology to the man whose image had been misused.

Kim also issued a personal statement, “The use of Plaintiff’s image in the February 26 Story was a mistake and was not done intentionally. I would not have used the image appearing in the February 26 Story had I known that it was a picture of Plaintiff and not Mr. Cantu."

Legal Pushback and Ongoing Case

Despite the apology, the plaintiff is moving forward with legal action. Kim’s attorneys have labelled the lawsuit as an opportunistic attempt to benefit from an honest mistake.

“This lawsuit is an attempt to cash in on a mistake,” her lawyers stated.

As of now, the court proceedings remain ongoing. It is unclear what damages the plaintiff is seeking or how the court will respond to the case.