Ariana Grande is getting sued by a photographer for allegedly posting his photos without permission, TMZ reports.
The photographer, Robert Barbera, claims Grande didn’t get approval or pay to post the photos, and that she just took them and shared them on Instagram. While it’s unclear which photos Grande posted without permission, according to TMZ, the photos got over 3.3 million likes.
Now, the photographer is asking for either the profits she gained from the photos or for $25,000 for each photo, whichever amount is more.
The photographer’s lawsuit is particularly interesting since earlier this year, Grande set strict rules for outside photographers at her Sweetener World Tour. In March, a number of media organizations, like the New York Times and the Associated Press, became fed up with her tour photo policy. The National Press Photographers Association alleged that Grande's tour contract was asking photographers to sign over all rights to their photos to her tour company. The NPPA told its members not to sign the photography agreement.
Regardless of the lawsuit, Grande's year is going pretty well. Earlier in May, it was revealed that Grande’s album Thank U, Next is the best-performing album of the year so far. The album is currently No. 1 and has reportedly earned an impressive 1.3 million album-equivalent units.
