Peak noughties singer Jessica Simpson is facing a lawsuit because of a photo she posted on Instagram.
Not a selfie or a product shot, but a paparazzi photo of herself looking fiiine exiting The Bowery Hotel in New York City.
So, why is this a problem, you ask? The picture is… of her?
Here’s where things get messy.
US celebrity news company, Splash News and Picture Agency is suing Simpson for copyright infringement because technically, the photo belongs to them, The Hollywood Reporter writes. They also didn’t give her permission to distribute it – The Daily Mail would’ve paid a hefty sum for that privilege.
Splash News and Picture Agency are arguing Simpon’s distribution of the image undercuts possible licensing agreements i.e. why would anyone pay for the photo if they can see it on Instagram?
“Simpson’s Instagram post and Twitter tweet made the Photograph immediately available to her nearly 11.5 million followers” and others, “who would otherwise be interested in viewing licensed versions of the Photograph in the magazines and newspapers that are plaintiff’s customers,” Splash attorney wrote in a complaint filed on Tuesday.
Simpson is far from the only celebrity who has posted a paparazzi image to social media, so the results of this case could have wide reaching consequences.
What can we learn from all this? Celebrities don’t even own photos of their damn selves.
The mystery person who orchestrated the relationship and pending-marriage of 2018 (sorry everyone else) has finally been revealed.
Harry called her “a secret friend” while Meghan confirmed the pair had met on a “blind date” set-up situation, but the identity of the person who played cupid escaped us.
However E!News have it on pretty good authority that it was indeed Violet von Westenholz, PR director behind American fashion house Ralph Lauren.
According to a E!News' secret source, Meghan "slotted into the high society set really easily."
"When Harry told Violet he was having trouble finding someone, Violet said she might just have the perfect girl for him.
"It's hard enough finding someone new to date. He can hardly go on Tinder or a dating app like normal people, but to meet someone that you actually connect with, that was proving to be almost impossible."
All we can say if Violet has any other suitors, royal or otherwise, please send them our way.
We'd be ever so grateful.
LISTEN: Mamamia Out Loud discuss if calling Meghan Markle's hairstyle 'slut strands', and just slut strands in general are problematic (post continues after audio...)
There's nothing we love more than a story about girl power and women supporting other women.
Having been friends since both actresses starred in The Help, Jessica Chastain approached Octavia Spencer with the prospect of doing a film together, and not only being paid the same salary, but earning as much as male actors would.
Speaking at the Women Breaking Barriers panel at the Sundance Film Festival, Spencer had nothing but glowing things to say about her co-star.
"Women of colour on that spectrum, we make far less than white women,'” Spencer said, as reported by IndieWire. “So, if we’re gonna have that conversation about pay equity, we gotta bring the women of colour to the table.
"We talked numbers, and she was quiet, and she said she had no idea that that’s what it was like for women of colour.”
Instead Chastain promised that Spencer that they would be paid the same amount on the film, and due to a bidding war between Universal, Fox and Paramount (where Universal won), both actresses got paid five times more than what they originally asked for.
We don't know much about the film yet, except it's a holiday comedy and being produced by Chastain and her company Freckle Films.
We'll keep you updated.
A whole new batch of celebrities are about to enter the African jungle for our TV-viewing amusement on I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.
But if you thought that our entertainment was the only reason they slept in tents, ate bugs and subjected themselves to gross-out, terrifying and physical challenges, Akmal Saleh has some news that will blow your mind.
The former I'm a Celeb contestant said on his breakfast show Mandy and Akmal on 107.7 2GO Central Coast the real reason the celebrities do it is for the - wait for it - money.
Shocking, we know.
Saleh was criticising Rove McManus for saying he had too much "credibility" to ever enter the show. The comedian suggested that "if he didn’t have money, he’d exchange that credibility for cash".
"You think I like the taste of fish guts? No."
"No one wants to do these shows. No one wants to do it. No one. It’s only for the money."
Thanks for exposing the "I'm just doing it for the experience" lie, Akmal. Somebody had to.
When Sam Frost realised her very first foray into radio was no longer, she wasn’t in a meeting at work. She didn’t receive a phone call. In fact, she says she heard nothing from Southern Cross Austereo at all.
In an interview with Nova 100’s Chrissie, Sam & Browny on Thursday morning, Chrissie Swan asked the former Bachelorette what industry was more brutal: TV or radio?
“Radio without a doubt… because I found out my show was axed via news.com.au. I was like, nah it’s just some rumours, then I’m like oh, it’s a statement from my boss, bugger, looks like I can’t afford my mortgage,” she said on the program of her sacking in June last year.
When pressed by Swan as to why she thought it ended that way, Frost was at a loss to understand why.
“I don’t know, I don’t know. It’s a bit ruthless.”
Certainly sounds ruthless to us. Read the full Sam Frost story here.
Top Comments
" Celebrities don’t even own photos of their damn selves."
Correct. That's what happens when you commodify your image. What's weird is the fact you seem to think that's unfair.
Jessica Simpson didn't take the photo, so why did she (and you) think she owned it?