A photographer is seeking $1 million in a lawsuit against singers Rihanna and Chris Brown.
Luis Santana, 26, alleges that the two stars’ bodyguards beat him and stole their camera in May. Santana is seeking the money to replace a $3,000 camera that was broken and stolen, the photos he lost, and to compensate him for his injuries and emotional distress.
According to the St. Petersburg Times, the lawsuit is based on a May 6 incident during Brown’s 19th birthday celebration at Vintage Ultra Lounge in St. Petersburg. The club, as well as three bodyguards, are also named in the suit.
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Santana took at least one picture of the singers through an open window of their limo, said Paul Kimsey, Santana’s attorney. Then, bodyguards working for Brown, Rihanna and Vintage Ultra Lounge allegedly chased Santana, forced him to the ground and stole his camera, breaking it.
“This is America. It’s called the First Amendment. If you’re in public,
you’re subject to being photographed,” Kimsey said. “Everyone is,
celebrity or not.”
Kimsey also said that the most significant loss was the picture Santana took of Brown and Rihanna as they left the club. The picture was valuable because it showed the two together, and was evidence of a much-talked about relationship.
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“I just don’t want them to get away with it,” Santana said. “That’s not right. I wasn’t doing anything wrong.”
