Silke Jasso
A California woman is suing Chipotle for more than $2.2 billion — yes, billion, with a B — because she claims the chain used photographs of her without permission.
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In her suit, Leah Caldwell says that in 2006, a photographer took pictures of her and a friend eating at a Chipotle in Denver. According to Sacramento’s ABC10, the photographer asked Caldwell to sign a release form for the pictures; she refused.
Caldwell, who is representing herself in the action, says she saw a picture of herself on the wall of a Chipotle in Orlando, Fla., in 2014, then saw the same picture again in early 2015 at locations in Sacramento and Roseville, Calif. Eater reports that Caldwell also claims Chipotle edited the photo to include an alcoholic drink.
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The lawsuit asks for $2,237,633,000, which is reportedly how much Caldwell estimates Chipotle profited from her picture between 2006 and 2015. According to Eater, she also wants 2016 profits added to the sum.
Chipotle does not comment on pending lawsuits.
The chain was slapped with a suit in November 2016 by three customers who claimed they felt “excessively full” after eating burritos that were advertised as containing only 300 calories.
