Paparazzi Photographer Sues Jennifer Hudson For $150,000 Over Posting A Photo Of Herself

Jennifer Hudson has been sued over an Instagram post of herself.

According to documents obtained by The Blast, a paparazzi photographer named Fernando Ramales is suing the singer and her production company, JHud Productions. Ramales filed the lawsuit in New York federal court and accused Hudson of copyright infringement. “This action arises out of Defendant’s unauthorized reproduction and public display of a copyrighted photograph of singer and actress Jennifer Hudson, owned and registered by Ramales, a New York-based professional photographer,” reads the suit,

The photographer claims Hudson took his image of her and posted it on her Instagram to promote her brand. All of Hudson’s 3 million followers saw the photo and the post garnered 31,692 likes. Ramales says Hudson should have never posted the photo without his permission or paying him a fee. The filing states, “Defendants did not license the Photograph from Plaintiff for its Website, nor did Defendants have Plaintiff’s permission or consent to publish the Photograph on its Website.”

Ramales is seeking, “statutory damages up to $150,000 per work infringed for Defendants willful infringement of the Photograph.” He also said Hudson modified his watermark on the photo. “Defendants intentionally, knowingly and with the intent to induce, enable, facilitate, or conceal their infringement of Plaintiff’s copyright in the Photograph. Defendants also knew, or should have known, that such falsification, alteration, and/or removal of said copyright management information would induce, enable, facilitate, or conceal their infringement of Plaintiff’s copyright in the Photograph,” he stated.

He is demanding a judge order, Hudson, to pay him $150,000 plus an injunction against Hudson, The Blast reports.