Disgraced former Congressman George Santos (R-N.Y.) fired a shot from his keyboard at Jimmy Kimmel before heading to court for his fraud case against the late night host.
“Let’s see if @jimmykimmel puts up or shuts up today,” Santos tweeted on Thursday morning. “After all this is your dream coming true as you said so your self on air!”
The ex-lawmaker field a lawsuit in February against the comedian, the ABC television network, and Walt Disney Co. for fraud and copyright infringement.
Santos claims that the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” host used “phony name and narratives” to get him to record videos on the Cameo app, which allows fans to pay for custom videos from celebrities and notable figures.
Let’s see if @jimmykimmel puts up or shuts up today.
After all this is your dream coming true as you said so your self on air! pic.twitter.com/VMklQ4saG2
— George Santos (@MrSantosNY) April 18, 2024
According to the complaint, Kimmel placed at least 14 requests using fictitious identities and outlandish scenarios, which were then aired on the show to troll the embattled former Congressman.
Santos shared a video of himself in the post, where he states that “today’s a big day,” and details that he will be heading to court later for the start of his lawsuit against the comedian.
“So, I can’t wait to see if Jimmy shows up, or is he gonna hide behind his little corporate lawyers,” he added. “I’ll be there.”
Santos, who is facing federal fraud allegations himself, is also suing for breach of contract and unjust enrichment for broadcasting the videos, which were purchased under a personal license, on his late-night talk show in December.
“Could you imagine if I get sued by George Santos for a fraud,” Kimmel seemingly predicted at the time.
“I mean how good would that be? It would be like a dream come true,” he continued.
“So since I started buying his videos his rates went way up to $500 a piece. He should be thanking me for buying these videos.”
Disney and ABC’s legal representatives argued before a New York federal judge on Thursday that Jimmy Kimmel’s use of the recordings is safeguarded from copyright claims under the fair use principle.
Defense lawyer Nathan Siegel argued that Kimmel’s use of Santos’s Cameo videos aimed to satirize and critique a public figure.
This type of use, shielded by the fair use doctrine, highlighted Santos’s “apparent willingness to say patently ridiculous things for money,” the attorney noted.
Referencing the content of one such “patently ridiculous” statement, Siegel cited a Cameo video where Santos praises the purchasers buddy for coming out as a furry enthusiast, whose “fursona” fuses a platypus and a beaver.
“He calls it a Beav-apus,” Siegel remarked about what Santos said in the video.
Santos has contended that Kimmel’s airing of the Cameo videos in a national broadcast falls outside of both of the app’s usage licenses, a personal utilization license or a business license.
JUST IN: Expelled Rep. George Santos is suing left-wing 'comedian' Jimmy Kimmel for misusing his Cameo clips.
The complaint was filed in Manhattan federal court.
After getting booted from the House, Santos took to Cameo to make personalized videos.
Kimmel allegedly purchased… pic.twitter.com/Frvup5JtYY
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) February 17, 2024
According to him, he holds the exclusive right to set the terms for these licenses.
“Neither of these licenses permits the Users to broadcast the videos on national television,” his attorneys argued.
“Such a license falls outside of the standard agreements provided by Cameo and would need to be independently negotiated between the User and the Talent.”
The lawsuit seeks fair compensation for the commercial usage of the Cameo videos and demands the return of profits earned from the national airing.
Although Santos was present at the initial pretrial consultation, he refrained from commenting during the proceedings.
After Santos filed the $750,000 claim, Kimmel blasted him during the show over the “most preposterous lawsuit of all time.”
“George has rudely filed the lawsuit against me, our show and The Walt Disney Co. because we did a nice thing. Because we supported him by ordering his Cameo videos,” he recapped.
“He says we deceived him under the guise of fandom — soliciting personalized videos, only to then broadcast these on national television,” Kimmel noted.
“And if there’s one thing George Santos will not stand for, it’s using a fake name under false pretenses,” he quipped.