George Santos accuses Jimmy Kimmel of tricking him into Cameo videos
3 Min Read
Disgraced former US lawmaker George Santos files a lawsuit against renowned talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, accusing him of tricking Santos into making videos on Cameo.
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Former Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., arrives before Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a primary election night party in Nashua, N.H., January 23, 2024. (AP)
In a lawsuit filed on Saturday, former congressman George Santos claimed that late-night host Jimmy Kimmel misled him into creating videos on the Cameo app, which were subsequently used to mock the disgraced New York Republican on the show.
The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, names Kimmel, ABC, and Walt Disney Co as defendants. A Disney representative, listed as a media contact for the Jimmy Kimmel Live! show did not immediately respond to an email from the Associated Press seeking comment.
Santos, who was expelled from the House of Representatives last year after being charged with multiple counts of fraud and stealing from donors, is suing over alleged copyright infringement, fraudulent inducement, breach of contract, and unjust enrichment.
The lawsuit alleges that Kimmel misrepresented himself to persuade Santos into producing personalized videos, exploiting and mocking his "gregarious personality."
Through Cameo, Santos received requests from individuals and businesses seeking personalized video messages. Without Santos' knowledge, the complaint alleges that Kimmel submitted at least 14 requests using phony names and narratives.
Starting in December the videos were played on a segment, “Will Santos Say It?” the suit says.
What do Santos' clips include?
In one of the clips, Santos offers congratulations to the purported winner of a beef-eating contest, praising the accomplishment of consuming 6lbs (2.7kg) of loose ground beef in under 30 minutes as "amazing and impressive."
“Frankly, Kimmel’s fake requests were funny, but what he did was a clear violation of copyright law,” an attorney for Santos, Robert Fantone, said in an email.
Santos is seeking statutory damages amounting to $750,000 for five videos he created, which were aired on Kimmel's show and various social media platforms. Additionally, he requests other damages to be determined at trial.
Earlier in December last year, Santos listed his name and availability as "former congressional 'Icon'!" to the website Cameo, which allows thousands of celebrities to respond to a request for "a personalized video message for any occasion".
Gift of the year from my friend Rebecca. Thank you @MrSantosNY! pic.twitter.com/TyoPdjLIps
— Senator Megan Hunt (@NebraskaMegan) December 4, 2023
His most recent uploads include a congratulations note to "Paige", a birthday tribute to "Jack", and a message to "Megan", who is a state senator in Omaha’s district eight, Megan Hunt, which shows Santos offering a pep talk.
