Kim Kardashian’s active litigation as of 2026 centers on a defamation lawsuit she and her mother Kris Jenner filed against Ray J, with trial set for March 2028. Her broader record of Kim Kardashian lawsuits also includes a $1.26 million settlement with the SEC over a crypto promotion, a pending investor class action tied to the same tokens, a trademark judgment she won against a fast-fashion retailer, a still-open trademark suit against her SKKN skincare brand, a wage-theft claim by former household workers, a dismissed libel case over a mistaken-identity Instagram post, and a civil forfeiture action involving a looted Roman sculpture.
Defamation Lawsuit Against Ray J
On October 1, 2025, Kardashian and Jenner filed a 13-page defamation complaint against Ray J (William Ray Norwood Jr.) in Los Angeles County Superior Court.1KTLA. Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner Sue Ray J for Defamation Over RICO Claims The suit says Ray J falsely claimed the two are the subjects of a federal racketeering investigation.
The complaint cites two sets of public statements. In May 2025, Ray J appeared on a TMZ special and said racketeering charges against the Kardashians would be “appropriate.” On September 24, 2025, during a livestream with Chrisean Rock, he said, “The federal RICO I’m about to drop on Kris and Kim is about to be crazy,” that “the feds is coming, there’s nothing I can do about it,” and that the situation was “worse than Diddy.”2Variety. Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner Sue Ray J for Defamation and Racketeering
The complaint alleges no such federal investigation exists and that the statements were deliberate “factual assertions” meant to damage the plaintiffs’ reputations. It brings claims for defamation and false light publicity. Kardashian and Jenner are represented by Alex Spiro and Michael Lifrak and are seeking actual and punitive damages before a jury.1KTLA. Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner Sue Ray J for Defamation Over RICO Claims
Ray J’s Cross-Complaint and the $6 Million Settlement
Ray J filed a cross-complaint on November 13, 2025, alleging Kardashian and Jenner breached a confidential 2023 settlement.3Rolling Stone. Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner Defamation Case Against Ray J Sent to Arbitration Under that agreement, Kardashian and Jenner agreed to pay Ray J $6 million in installments concluding in 2026, and all parties agreed to a non-disclosure clause covering the 2007 sex tape.4KATV. Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner Demanded $7 Million Over Sex Tape Deal With Ray J
Ray J alleges the agreement was violated when the tape was referenced across two episodes of Season 3 of Hulu’s The Kardashians. Kardashian and Jenner’s team responded that those episodes were filmed before the settlement was finalized and fell outside its scope.5Yahoo Entertainment. Alleged $6 Million Sex Tape Settlement Details As of April 2026, Kardashian and Jenner have withheld the final $1 million installment, alleged that Ray J himself breached the deal, and demanded return of the $5 million already paid.4KATV. Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner Demanded $7 Million Over Sex Tape Deal With Ray J
The 2023 deal became public after Judge Steven A. Ellis, on March 30, 2026, denied Kardashian and Jenner’s motion to keep it sealed, finding they “failed to present enough evidence that the deal being made public would cause them harm.”6TMZ. Kim and Kris Request to Keep Secret Ray J Settlement Out of Public Denied
Arbitration Order and Trial Date
On April 24, 2026, Judge Ellis split the case in two. He compelled arbitration on Ray J’s breach-of-contract cross-complaint because the 2023 settlement contained an arbitration clause.7TMZ. Ray J Countersuit Against Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner Going to Arbitration He allowed the defamation and false light claims to proceed in open court, ruling those obligations “exist entirely independently from both the agreement and the relationship created by the agreement.” A post-arbitration status conference is scheduled for February 9, 2027, with trial on the defamation claims set for March 6, 2028.3Rolling Stone. Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner Defamation Case Against Ray J Sent to Arbitration
SEC Settlement Over EthereumMax
In October 2022, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charged Kardashian with violating federal securities laws by promoting EthereumMax (EMAX) tokens in a June 2021 Instagram post without disclosing she had been paid $250,000. The post linked to the EthereumMax site with purchase instructions.8SEC. SEC Charges Kim Kardashian for Unlawfully Touting Crypto Security
She settled without admitting or denying the findings, paying $1.26 million in total: $250,000 in disgorgement, roughly $10,000 in prejudgment interest, and a $1 million civil penalty. She agreed to cooperate with the SEC’s continuing investigation and to refrain from promoting any crypto asset securities for three years.8SEC. SEC Charges Kim Kardashian for Unlawfully Touting Crypto Security9CNBC. Kim Kardashian Settles SEC Charges Over Instagram Crypto Promotion
EthereumMax Investor Class Action
A separate investor class action, Huegerich v. Gentile et al., was filed in January 2022 in the Central District of California against Kardashian, Floyd Mayweather Jr., and Paul Pierce, alleging a “pump and dump” scheme.10BBC. Kim Kardashian Pays $1.26M to Settle SEC Crypto Charges In December 2022, Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald dismissed the initial complaint, finding investors lacked standing for federal RICO claims because their alleged injury amounted to “nothing more than disappointment” at current token values, and that California consumer protection law did not apply to “intangible goods such as cryptocurrency.” He granted leave to amend.11Classaction.org. Kim Kardashian, Floyd Mayweather, Paul Pierce Face Class Action Over Alleged EthereumMax Pump and Dump Scheme By August 2025, the court had certified investor subclasses in four states while denying a nationwide class. The case remains active.12Law360. In Re Ethereummax Investor Litigation
Mistaken-Identity Libel Suit
In February 2024, Kardashian posted an Instagram story urging followers to sign a petition to halt the execution of Texas death row inmate Iván Cantú. The photo she used was not of the inmate but of a private citizen in Westchester, New York, who shared the same name.13San Antonio Express-News. Kim Kardashian Lawsuit Over Texas Inmate Ivan Cantu
Kardashian’s team called it a “simple mistake” that was corrected “almost immediately.” The New York man sued in February 2025, alleging libel, slander, emotional distress, invasion of privacy, false light, and negligence, saying the mix-up exposed him to “hatred, contempt, and ridicule.”14NBC News. Kim Kardashian Sued for Mistakenly Identifying New York Man as Texas Death Row Inmate
A federal judge dismissed the case in November 2025 for insufficient evidence of injury.15Yahoo Entertainment. Kim Kardashian Slammed as Greedy and Unfair Kardashian then sought to recover roughly $145,000 in legal fees and costs. The court ordered the plaintiff to pay, and he filed a motion asking the judge to reconsider, arguing he could not absorb the bill while Kardashian, worth an estimated $1.9 billion, could cover her own expenses.16TMZ. Kim Kardashian Called Out for Demand to Cover Attorney Fees
Missguided Trademark Judgment
In February 2019, Kardashian and her company Kimsaprincess, Inc. sued Missguided USA and its parent in the Central District of California, alleging the fast-fashion retailer used her name and image to market knockoff versions of her outfits. The complaint asserted right of publicity, false designation of origin, and trademark infringement claims under the Lanham Act, seeking at least $10 million.17Womble Bond Dickinson. Kim Kardashian West v. Missguided USA, Complaint
Missguided did not appear or defend. On March 29, 2019, the court entered a default judgment awarding Kardashian $2.7 million in damages plus $59,600 in attorneys’ fees, and permanently enjoined the retailer from using her trademarks.18KARE 11. Kim Kardashian Awarded $2.7 Million in Knockoff Outfits Lawsuit
SKKN Trademark Dispute
Cydnie Lunsford, a Brooklyn esthetician whose company Beauty Concepts LLC had used the “SKKN+” mark since 2018, sued Kardashian, Kimsaprincess, Inc., and Coty Inc. on June 28, 2022, in the Eastern District of New York, alleging that the launch of “SKKN BY KIM” created consumer confusion.19The Click. Kim Kardashian Being Sued Over Trademark Infringement
Beauty Concepts is seeking compensatory, statutory, and punitive damages, disgorgement of profits, an order barring Kardashian from using the “SKKN” name, and a corrective advertising campaign. Kardashian’s attorney Michael Rhodes denied wrongdoing, calling the suit an attempt to “leverage a settlement by threatening to harm Ms. Kardashian’s name and reputation.”20Pearl Cohen. SKKN Deep: The Dispute Over Kim Kardashian’s SKKN Line Goes to Federal Court The case sits before Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall with no publicly reported resolution.
Hidden Hills Wage-Theft Suit
In May 2021, seven former gardening and maintenance workers at Kardashian’s Hidden Hills estate sued in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleging unpaid overtime, withheld wages, denied meal and rest breaks, missing itemized pay stubs, and the withholding of 10% of pay for taxes that was never remitted to the government. The complaint also alleged 16-year-old Andrew Ramirez Jr. was made to work hours exceeding the legal maximum for his age, and one worker said he was fired for asking about his rights.21Los Angeles Times. Kim Kardashian Says She’s Not Responsible for Labor Disputes in Lawsuit Against Her22Vanity Fair. Kim Kardashian Lawsuit: Former Employees, Unpaid Wages, Overtime, No Breaks
A spokesperson said the workers were employed by an independent third-party vendor and that Kardashian was “not party to the agreement made between the vendor and their workers.”23The Guardian. Kim Kardashian West Sued by Former Staff Over Pay and Conditions No public outcome has been reported.
Roman Sculpture Forfeiture
In a 2021 civil forfeiture action, the U.S. government moved against a five-ton Roman sculpture, Fragment of Myron’s Samian Athena, dating to the first or second century. The piece had been purchased in 2016 from the Axel Vervoordt Gallery in Belgium for nearly $750,000 and shipped to the United States addressed to “Kim Kardashian dba Noel Roberts Trust.” U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized it at the Los Angeles/Long Beach Seaport in June 2016 after determining it had been smuggled from Italy.24ABC7. Kim Kardashian Statue FBI Archaeology
An archaeologist from Italy’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage concluded the piece was “looted, smuggled, and illegally exported.” A spokesperson for Kardashian said she “never purchased” the sculpture, was “unaware of the transaction,” and that her name may have been used without authorization. The complaint does not allege wrongdoing on her part.25Artnet News. Kim Kardashian Looted Italian Sculpture26NBC News. Kim Kardashian Tied to Allegedly Looted Art Debacle