Photographer Annie Leibovitz has filed a lawsuit against Observer Media, accusing the company of using one of her photos of Justin and Hailey Bieber without permission, according to Rolling Stone.
The complaint says the image, which shows the couple wearing matching Dolce and Gabbana polka dots, was published on Observer.com alongside a 2020 story. Leibovitz and her licensing agency say they alerted the company in May 2024 that the photo violated her copyright and asked for it to be removed.
According to the filing, the image was still available on the site as of July 16. Rolling Stone reported that efforts to reach a representative for Observer Media were not immediately successful.
Leibovitz, 76, says in the lawsuit that the alleged infringement was “willful, intentional and malicious.” She is seeking damages of up to $150,000 for each claimed unauthorized use, along with profits tied to the alleged misuse.
