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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Entertainment
Dominique Hines

Cardi B’s ‘debasing’ Marge Simpson photos finally removed by Instagram

Cardi B has had her ‘Marge Simpson’ snaps removed following a month-long legal dispute over copyright infringement

(Picture: Cardi B)

Cardi B has had her photos removed from Instagram after months of being accused of copyright breaches.

The rap superstar has been in a legal dispute since last November with celebrated Italian artist AleXsandro Palombo who said she “illegitimately appropriated” his 2013 “Marge Simpson Style Icon” work.

The I Like It Like That rapper posted a version of the Neo Pop artist’s original artwork, which she credited as being inspired by an iconic Thierry Mugler dress from 1995.

She shared the photos on her Instagram account with her over 150 million followers, without adding the Palombo’s credits to the post.

Cardi, 30, did not comply to Palombo’s wishes that she remove the snaps, which she posted at Halloween.

The Italian artist triumphed this week when Meta, who owns Facebook and Instagram, removed the photos.

Following Meta’s actions, Palombo said: “Cardi B and her collaborators have used my artwork without any authorisation, debasing its original meaning... that has nothing to do with that path of social awareness that has always characterised my works."

The original images by Palombo in 2013 became iconic in the art world (aleXsandro Palombo)

Palombo created the striking artwork in 2013 as an homage to the legendary cartoon character from The Simpsons.

He aimed to transform mother and housewife Marge into a style icon, describing his vision as a "work of reflection on women’s emancipation and gender equality".

The series was unveiled by Vogue UK and gained the artist a cult following amongst art lovers.

No stranger to legal battles, last September Cardi B lost her case at Queens County Criminal Court in New York on charges of assaulting two strippers (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Palombo’s lawyer Claudio Volpi told the Evening Standard in a statement: “This is an event of fundamental importance in the process of legal and factual protection of the works of authors and artists...

“[Their] creations are frequently used by subjects who believe they enjoy a state of impunity due to their fame, wealth and power.”

Cardi’s creative team, Jora Frantzis and artistic director Kollin Carter, have now credited Palombo after also "violating the conditions of use on the copyright of the Meta community".

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