Body-builder Sues Chicago Free Press Over Advertisement

Wed. July 2, 2008 12:00 AM by Kevin Wayne

Chicago, IL - An amateur body-builder alleges the Chicago Free Press ran an ad for Bobby Love's without his consent and is now suing the paper and the bar.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that in a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Cook County Circuit Court, Joel Rabb claims his photo was used in an advertisement for the gay bar Bobby Love's, 3729 N. Halsted St., in the paper without his consent.

The ad which allegedly features Rabb, a personal trainer and amateur body-builder, clad in leather and chains with the words "Bobby Loves, tallest cock tail on Halsted" across his face ran in the gay and lesbian paper on May 14 and 21.

The suit claims Rabb gave no written permission or consent for Rainbow Media, the company which owns the paper, to use his photograph in the ad. Rabb allegedly sent cease and desist letters to the Chicago Free Press following the May 21 publication.

Rabb is asking for a minimum of $1,000 per violation of the Illinois Right to Publicity Act and more than $200,000 in damages.
 

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