Two days before the scheduled execution of Ivan Cantu, Kim Kardashian shared a black-and-white photo on Instagram with the caption: “THE STATE WILL EXECUTE IVAN CANTU IN 2 DAYS.” However, the man in the image was not the convicted murderer but a different Ivan Cantu—a 60-year-old project manager at Morgan Stanley.
After receiving messages from concerned family and friends, the wrongly identified Cantu took to Facebook to clarify: “To all my friends and family, I am not getting executed. Some idiot who runs @kimkardashian used my picture instead of Ivan ‘Abner’ Cantu.”
The real Ivan Cantu, convicted of a double murder in 2000, was executed by lethal injection on February 28, 2024. Meanwhile, the New York-based Cantu, who is alive and well, has filed a lawsuit against Kardashian in Los Angeles Superior Court. He is suing for libel, slander, invasion of privacy, negligence, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, claiming that Kardashian’s mistake caused severe emotional harm.
The lawsuit argues that Kardashian’s post, which falsely linked him to a death row conviction in Texas, was “untrue and demonstrably false” and published “without privilege or authorization.” His attorney, Greg Sobo, stated that the incident caused his client “public humiliation” at a deeply personal and difficult time, following a significant family loss.
Cantu has reportedly been in therapy since the incident, suffering from anxiety, nightmares, and psychological distress. His legal team aims to highlight the responsibility that comes with social media influence, emphasizing that while platforms can be used for positive change, they can also cause serious harm when misused.
Kardashian, who has been an advocate for criminal justice reform since 2018, admitted to the error through her attorney, Michael Rhodes. He described it as “a simple mistake” that was corrected quickly. While expressing a preference to resolve the matter outside of court, Kardashian’s legal team has stated they are prepared to defend her against the lawsuit.
