Kim Kardashian has been awarded $167,473.69 by a court after a man unsuccessfully sued her.
Ivan Cantu, who had filed a lawsuit against the reality star over a photo mix-up, previously claimed that paying her legal fees would destroy him financially.
The incident unfolded in February 2024, when Kardashian posted a picture on her social media of Cantu, who has the same name as a Texas death row inmate who had recently been executed following his conviction in a 2000 double murder.
While Kardashian claimed the error was an honest mistake and the photo was taken down quickly, Cantu sued Kardashian, telling the court in a February 2025 filing that the star ‘published and disseminated false information’ about him that injured his reputation.
The defamation suit was dismissed in November and Kardashian had sought to recoup her legal fees from Cantu.
The New York native previously asked a Los Angeles court to scuttle the reimbursement demand from Kardashian, after his case against her was dismissed, citing the discrepancies in their respective net worths.
Kim Kardashian, 45, is not backing down after a man who unsuccessfully sued her said that covering her legal fees will cause him financial hardship
New York native Ivan Cantu previously asked a Los Angeles court to scuttle the reimbursement demand from Kardashian, 45, after his case against her was dismissed, citing the discrepancies in their respective net worths
But Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Small on Monday said the court was ‘granting Kardashian’s motion in the main,’ according to a ruling reviewed by the Daily Mail.
Judge Small addressed Cantu’s previous arguments ‘that it would be unfair for the court to make him pay Kardashian’s fees and costs because… she is wealthy and he is not’ – calling them ‘unavailing’ on a legal basis.
The judge said that the court reduced the $57,107.50 total for ‘fees upon fees’ – a term for balances ‘incurred in connection the motion for fees and costs itself’ – by a third ‘which comes out to $38,261.80.’
The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for both sides in the case.
The judge while it may seem unusual ‘that a person of modest financial means (as Plaintiff says he is) would have to reimburse a person who has lots of money (as Plaintiff says Kardashian has)’, income disparities are ‘irrelevant’ to the question of legal fees.
Kardashian’s previous success in her anti-SLAPP motion against Cantu ‘entitled [her] to reasonable attorney’s fees and costs,’ the judge said.
Attorneys for Kardashian said in legal documents reviewed by the Daily Mail last month that Cantu filed what amounted to ‘a clearly meritless lawsuit’ after she mistakenly identified him as a death row inmate (with the same name) more than two years ago.
Cantu, in suing Kardashian over the quickly corrected mistake, had been ‘seeking to thwart [her] constitutional right to engage in protected speech regarding matters of criminal justice reform,‘ her legal team said in the filing.
Lawyers for the reality star – whose net worth has been estimated at upward of $1.9 billion – said Cantu miscalculated when he ‘thought he could force a payout based on her celebrity and wealth … but his gambit failed, and now he refuses to accept the consequences of his actions.’
Kardashian’s legal team said that Cantu’s request to scuttle the reimbursement fees goes against California legal statutes, as she is ‘entitled to recover her reasonable prevailing-party attorneys’ fees and costs, along with fees on fees.’
Cantu ‘has not presented a single valid argument against the imposition of fees in this case … nor has he offered any viable basis for reducing the amount of Kardashian’s fee request,’ her lawyers said.
Attorneys for Kardashian said Cantu is asking the court ‘to disregard California law’s mandatory imposition of attorneys’ fees against him based on appeals for sympathy and unsupported claims of inability to pay’ and irrelevant allusions to ‘Kardashian’s wealth.’
Cantu told the court in a February 2025 filing that the Keeping Up with the Kardashians star ‘published and disseminated false information’ about him that injured his reputation.
He said in his filing that Kardashian’s posting of the wrong picture on such an important issue ‘was clearly untrue, erroneous, unfounded, shocking, scandalous, degrading, disgraceful, and/or shameful.’
Attorneys for Kardashian – who is currently linked to F1 driver Lewis Hamilton – told the Daily Mail the misidentification was a ‘simple mistake’ that sprung from ‘Kim’s longstanding commitment to the cause of criminal justice reform.’
They added: ‘The image was taken down almost immediately once the error was discovered.’
Cantu claimed libel, emotional distress, slander, invasion of privacy, negligence and being portrayed in a false light in his lawsuit against Kardashian, asking the court to award compensatory and punitive damages.
Cantu’s attorney, Greg Sobo, subsequently said in a statement to the Daily Mail that it was incumbent on Kardashian to ‘know the power of social media.’
Sobo said, ‘For too long, we have seen social media cause devastating injuries to innocent victims. Social media is too often abused to bully the innocent, incite harm, and injure our communities.’
The lawyer continued, ‘Just like those who cause physical harm should be held accountable, those who cause injuries to innocent victims through social media must also be held responsible.’
The Texas death row inmate with the same name was subsequently executed on February 28, 2024, following his conviction in a 2000 double murder
Attorneys for Kardashian said Cantu filed what amounted to ‘a clearly meritless lawsuit’
A federal judge dismissed the case last November, as a judge said that ‘the hitch for the plaintiff is that he failed to provide [evidence] … that he suffered any injury as a result of Kardashian’s misappropriation of his likeness.’
Attorneys for Kardashian told TMZ at the time they were ‘pleased with the court’s ruling’ and appreciated its ‘recognition that an honest mistake committed in the course of Ms Kardashian’s exercise of free speech does not serve as the basis for meritless litigation.’
The dismissal paved the way for Kardashian to seek recoupment with her legal filing.
Cantu, in a filing last week reviewed by the Daily Mail, claimed Kardashian ‘labeled him a criminal to her 350+ million followers … at a very sensitive time in his life, causing anxiety and depression.’
Cantu said that Kardashian was ‘born and raised in great wealth and luxury’ and ‘enjoys substantial income and wealth through sponsors of her social media posts due to a large number of followers.
He said in a prior court filing reviewed by Daily Mail, ‘While some of her posts may concern social causes, most of her posts published sponsored products and services and celebrity news.’
Sobo told the Daily Mail that Cantu is a ‘very private family man with two daughters’ who had been dealing with a personal tragedy in his life at the time Kardashian posted his picture to social media.
‘As a result of the Kardashian abuse, Mr Cantu’s privacy was destroyed at a most critical and sensitive time, and he has suffered very real trauma that will last a lifetime,’ the lawyer said.
Sobo previously told the Daily Mail that ‘if there is any issue that shows the true character of this defendant, it is this one.
‘Having wrongfully and publicly accused an innocent man of a crime he did not commit, causing him anxiety and suffering, she now attempts to use her wealth and power to take further advantage of the judicial system by collecting an inflated judgment that is meaningless to her.’
Sobo told Daily Mail that ‘while the judicial system often favors the rich and powerful, we remain confident that Mr Cantu’s claim will ultimately prevail, and it will indeed be the defendant who pays.’
