According to USAToday, Christian Demeritt took professional headshots shortly after earning her theater degree from Florida A&A University, after a friend recommended a particular photographer to her.
“She inboxed me the information and said he does really great work,” Demeritt told USAToday.
Years after taking the headshots, someone informed Demeritt that they saw her on a magazine at a Sacramento news stand. The photos were disseminated, showing up in an another country as well as in a breast reduction ad, according to reports.
“When I first found out, I was shocked,” Demeritt told USAToday. “I found it almost unbelievably amusing at that point…I had never even been to California.”
@christian.joy.d Replying to @shyfloralstudio #storytime #DoritosTriangleTryout ♬ Frolic (Theme from “Curb Your Enthusiasm” TV Show) – Luciano Michelini
Demeritt admitted to USA Today that she didn’t read the fine print, which enabled the photographer to sell her photos. Anyone who purchases photos of Demeritt can legally use them however they choose.
One project that Demeritt photo appears on is a romance novel, “His BIG Childhood Sweetheart,” which is published by Afro Romance Books. “His BIG Childhood Sweetheart” is a series centered on interracial relationships.
An Afro Romance Books rep told USA Today that authors do not create book covers, and that the Afro Romance Books did get Demeritt’s photo from a stock image website.
Demeritt told USAToday that she understands that this fiasco is legal and happens often without people knowing.
Also according to the report, Demeritt has not earned any money from the photos nor has she been able to contact the photographer.
Demeritt has been documenting her experience on TikTok.
