Insulted former New York Rep George Santos The case is pending Jimmy KimmelThe late-night host is accused of breaking the law by making fake claims on popular video app Cameo.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in New York on Saturday, is between the host, ABC and Walt Disney Co. It alleges copyright infringement, fraudulent inducement, breach of contract and unjust enrichment.
“If you don't stand up for yourself you will always lose! That is what I am doing with this case. I will stand my ground and fight to assert my legal rights,” Santos said Published On X, formerly Twitter, Saturday night. “Jimmy the guy thought he could use fraudulent means to infringe my copyright and now he's going to face the consequences. It's actually quite simple. My legal case is unassailable and there is no doubt that I am in the right.
The case stems from a new job Santos stumbled on after Congress ousted him in early December, the result of a damning ethics investigation that revealed widespread misuse of campaign funds, including trips to casinos, fans-only subscriptions, luxury goods and Botox.
Soon after his eviction, Santos set up an account on Cameo, which allows users to pay for short custom videos. Two days later, he said he had lined up enough videos to exceed his $174,000 annual congressional salary. Founder and CEO of the site, Steven Kalanis, said Santos will be “an absolute whale” and her debut will rival the likes of Sarah Jessica Parker and Bon Jovi, “rocking the numbers”.
The lawsuit alleges that at least fourteen requests to Santos in early December came from fake accounts using “fake names and descriptions” owned by Kimmel. The requests included scripts for Santos to send congratulations to one user for cloning a schnauzer named Adolf, and another for eating “six pounds of ground beef in 30 minutes.” “Would Will Santos say that?” The comic ran five videos of the fabulist in a program segment titled
Santos' attorney previously sent Kimmel a cease and desist letter on Dec. 12. call The host is a “sneaky little trickster.”
In the suit, Santos alleges that Kimmel violated the app's terms of service and Santos' copyright. Kimmel paid for the videos, “for the sole purpose of capitalizing and mocking [Santos’] corporate personality.” The former congressman is seeking $750,000 in damages.
“Obviously, Kimmel's bogus claims are funny, but what he did is a clear violation of copyright law,” Santos' lawyer said. Robert Fantonesaid in an email to news agencies.
According to the lawsuit, Kimmel joked about the possibility of facing legal action in one segment.
“Can you imagine if I was sued by George Santos for a fraud,” Kimmel said in early December. “I mean, how cool would that be? It was a dream come true. So since I started buying his videos, his prices went up to $500 a piece. He has me to thank for buying these videos.
“Jimmy, I'm sorry my Christmas present to you is late, but here's to making wishes come true,” Santos said. New York Post, which reported News about the case on Saturday. “I hope you enjoy reading your case for fraud that you have been waiting for.”
