Jessica Simpson, OK! Magazine Sued Over Baby Photo

A Louisiana couple is suing Jessica Simpson and OK! magazine over a photo of their son that they did not give permission for the magazine to use.

Christopher Hurst took his infant son to a Dillards in New Orleans in October 2011 where Simpson was promoting her clothing line. Customers who spent $50 in the department store were allowed to meet and have their picture taken with Simpson. Hurst’s teenage daughter was about to have her photo taken when an unknown man suggested that the singer take a photo with the baby. At first, Hurst declined, but a woman in line offered to take a picture with her cellphone and send it to him, and he agreed.

As Simpson posed with the infant, a “previously unseen photographer” began taking pictures. The photographer never identified himself or asked Hurst’s permission to use the photos, according to the lawsuit.

The woman from the line sent Hurst a message on April 16, 2012, informing him that the pictures taken at Dillards were used on the cover of OK! under the headline, “My first days as a new mom!” The inset photo on the cover was one of Simpson and the infant, whom Hurst said was his son (Simpson’s daughter, Maxwell, wasn’t born until May 1.)

In a lawsuit filed in the 24th Judicial District Court in Gretna, Louisiana, Hurst and the child’s mother, Tracy Gregory, said that no one asked their permission to use their son’s photo. The lawsuit also said that the family’s privacy was invaded and that they endured emotional distress as a result.

The lawsuit names Simpson, American Media, Inc. (owner of OK! magazine), and Getty Images as defendants. The lawsuit is seeking $75,000 in damages.

“What happened in this situation was wrong,” said Michael North, the attorney for Hurst and Gregory. “It’s not something that ever should happen. Our immediate aim is to find out how it happened and why it happened and determine who is responsible.”

What do you think of the lawsuit against Jessica Simpson, OK! magazine, and Getty Images?

[Photo credit: DFree / Shutterstock.com]