Overview
- Kardashian won a fee order from Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Small, who on Monday granted about $167,473 of the roughly $186,000 her lawyers sought.
- Ivan Cantu of New York sued in February 2025 after Kardashian’s Instagram story used his photo by mistake during advocacy posts about a different Texas man with the same name.
- The defamation case was thrown out in November 2025, and Kardashian then moved to recover her attorneys’ bills from the now-dismissed suit.
- The judge called Cantu’s claim of financial hardship unavailing under state law that lets the winning side recoup reasonable fees, and Cantu’s lawyer says he will appeal.
- Online critics faulted Kardashian for pursuing the payment, while her team says fee recovery deters meritless claims and the post was corrected quickly with an apology.