Bethenny Frankel was sued in Manhattan federal court Monday by a photographer who claims the “Real Housewives of New York City” alum broke copyright laws by posting his photo of storm-ravaged Puerto Rico on Instagram.
Frankel, 51, a reality TV star and founder of the Skinnygirl lifestyle brand, posted the shot to her account in May 2018 – months after New York City photographer Marcus Santos registered it with the US Copyright Office, the lawsuit alleges.
The photo shows a residential stretch of Puerto Rico destroyed by Hurricane Maria in 2017.
Frankel included the image as part of a video to publicize her philanthropic work on the island after the storm, the suit states.
The caption of her post reads: “This footage is from last year’s #thisisacrisis movement in #puertorico. #hurricanemaria killed more than 4600 people – that’s more than 70 TIMES the official toll.”
Santos claims the entrepreneur and TV personality included his photograph without prior permission or licensing.
In addition to her TV career, Frankel has pursued several philanthropic endeavors, including providing humanitarian aid in the wake of Hurricane Maria and several other disasters through her B Strong foundation.
She reportedly traveled to several Puerto Rican towns after the hurricane and organized supply deliveries for survivors.
Santos is suing for damages and monetary relief, including profits attributed to the photo’s use. He is also seeking a jury trial.
His attorney and reps for Frankel did not immediately respond to requests for comment.