GameSpot may receive revenue from affiliate and advertising partnerships for sharing this content and from purchases through links.

The GTA 5 Lindsay Lohan Lawsuit Has Been Rejected Again

"We conclude...that the subject images are not recognizable as plaintiff."

42 Comments

An appeal from actress Lindsay Lohan in her lawsuit against Rockstar Games parent company Take-Two Interactive, which alleged her likeness was used in Grand Theft Auto V, has been dismissed in the New York Court of Appeals. The lawsuit dates back to 2014 and was initially thrown out in 2016 before Lohan appealed.

The lawsuit claimed GTA V's character Lacey Jonas is an "unequivocal" reference to Lohan. In the initial ruling, the court stated that "[e]ven if we accept plaintiffs' contentions that the video game depictions are close enough to be considered representations of the respective plaintiffs, plaintiffs' claims should be dismissed because this video game does not fall under the statutory definitions of 'advertising' or 'trade.'"

Please use a html5 video capable browser to watch videos.
This video has an invalid file format.
00:00:00
Sorry, but you can't access this content!
Please enter your date of birth to view this video

By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's
Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

Now Playing: Grand Theft Auto 5 - Southern San Andreas Super Sports Series Trailer

In the appeal, as spelled out by Gamasutra, the court concluded that "a computer generated image may constitute a portrait within the meaning of [Civil Rights Law sections 50 and 51]. We also conclude, however, that the subject images are not recognizable as plaintiff."

In simpler terms, Lacey Jonas is not a likeness of Lohan, and that's the final word.

GTA V launched in September 2013, but it's still going strong. Developer Rockstar continues to support GTA Online weekly, and the game consistently tops the UK physical sales charts.

Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com

Join the conversation
There are 42 comments about this story
42 Comments  RefreshSorted By 
GameSpot has a zero tolerance policy when it comes to toxic conduct in comments. Any abusive, racist, sexist, threatening, bullying, vulgar, and otherwise objectionable behavior will result in moderation and/or account termination. Please keep your discussion civil.

Avatar image for tgwolf
tgwolf

67

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 1

User Lists: 0

Lindsey...you didn't REALLY expect anyone to take you seriously when you let yourself be modeled like that in the first place, did you...?? It's Rockstar Games! "Honorable" is a word with more than two syllables, c'mon, now!

Upvote • 
Avatar image for tinoush
tinoush

420

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Now this is just getting sad.

4 • 
Avatar image for stuff238
stuff238

3284

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 5

User Lists: 0

She is so desperate for money. She can’t even get work in x rated movies. Which is just sad.

4 • 
Avatar image for sdzald
sdzald

509

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

@stuff238:

I think its not as much about money as getting the air time and that she has succeeded in doing, ater all we are all talking aout her right now.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for N-REAL
N-REAL

2509

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 10

User Lists: 0

Poor Lindsay...... No money for cocaine....

7 • 
Avatar image for gotrekfabian
gotrekfabian

6463

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 66

User Lists: 0

Stupid cow.

Whoops, forgot greedy.

4 • 
Avatar image for WuShogun212
WuShogun212

97

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

The sad part is that even if it was Lohan (which it isn't) she still wouldn't have grounds to sue. Artist use references all the time for poses and facial features, so artists would be taken to court all the time just for getting close to another image (honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if they were). If you look at the original image and the GTA image side by side, they changed just enough to make it a unique image. You can't just walk into a court room and say "That picture looks like me a little" and be taken seriously. I hope they will continue to throw out any attempt at pursuing this dumb case.

5 • 
Avatar image for The_Dragon_Born
The_Dragon_Born

752

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

She needs to get a job instead of coveting someone else's money. Responsibility makes people happier, not laziness.

5 • 
Avatar image for Pupchu
Pupchu

977

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 2

User Lists: 0

I witnessed a pedestrian in the game that kinda looked like me, i should take Rockstar to the court.

9 • 
Avatar image for moonco
Moonco

3848

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By Moonco  Moderator

Lindsay is a good friend of mine and this setback makes me wanna throw Molotov cocktails at things. I'm not in a good mood right now so it might be best to take the month off before I ban every single person on GameSpot who are not part of the Lindsay Lohan fanclub.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for asnakeneverdies
asnakeneverdies

3765

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

@moonco: A whole month!? Just kill me and be done with it! ???

4 • 
Avatar image for moonco
Moonco

3848

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Moonco  Moderator

@asnakeneverdies: Well....I might show up in a Microsoft article once in awhile

2 • 
Avatar image for asnakeneverdies
asnakeneverdies

3765

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By asnakeneverdies

@moonco: Thanks, that will get me through the night. ?

Edit: I decided to reword this differently.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for jamesbr27
JamesBR27

410

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 1

User Lists: 0

Edited By JamesBR27

The only lawsuit Rockstar could lose nowadays is how they alone managed to turn the game industry into a loot box and microtransactions hellhole with GTA online, since october 1st 2013, they did not release a single new game, only a lot of shark cards for sore losers.

14 • 
Avatar image for playstationzone
PlaystationZone

3403

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 5

Edited By PlaystationZone

@jamesbr27: I hate micro transactions but did don’t effect gameplay of gta 5 online Wrich easy ingore unlike ea games can’t ingore it since got no choice . Plus gta 5 is adult game no kids game.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for deactivated-64efdf49333c4
deactivated-64efdf49333c4

21783

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 36

User Lists: 0

@jamesbr27: Actually, Mass Effect 3 is the more likely origin of that practice. EA was shouting to high heaven how successful its loot box system was at the time of release. Rockstar clearly heard them.

3 • 
Avatar image for ssdd_again
ssdd_again

281

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 2

User Lists: 0

@jamesbr27: @Barighm: Actually, you're both wrong, it was Fifa 10 back in 2009 which started this whole microtransactions/open a pack of cards (a.k.a. loot box) with real money bs.

EA made hundreds of millions using the practice before GTA V was even released, you can't blame R* for cashing in on peoples very evident laziness and stupidity at that point.

6 • 
Avatar image for thelostscribe
Thelostscribe

2023

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 5

@ssdd_again: Yeah I was gonna say that EA and a few other games had stupid randomized loot boxes way before GTA V came out. I remember seeing that in Mass Effect 3 and thought how dumb it was to waste in game credits or money on a randomized loot box. Why would you do that? If I'm going to spend money on something like micro transactions, which I do very little of, I want to know exactly what I'm getting.

GTA V's shark cards are a bit devious in that some of that stuff got expensive enough that you do have devote significant game time focused strictly on making money to get it, but they also regularly update the online mode with new content for free. So it's a bit of a double edged sword. I've bought a few $5 shark cards if I wanted a certain car or upgrade because the time it would take me to make that money in game vs my actual rate of pay is much shorter haha. Still couldn't see spending $100 flat for that megalodon shark card. I wonder how many of those have been bought.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for barcaazul
BarcaAzul

3080

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Who?

Has she actually done anything recently? No wonder she keeps chasing this, she must be hard up!

8 • 
Avatar image for deactivated-602ba4c72cdea
deactivated-602ba4c72cdea

632

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

@barcaazul: I “recently” watched the SNL Harry Potter skit on YouTube where she plays hot Hermoine, does that count?

Upvote • 
Avatar image for WuShogun212
WuShogun212

97

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

@barcaazul: She did a play in London like 4 years ago, that's the last I heard of her doing anything. At this point I think she is doing this just for the attention, no normal person would be still fighting this.

5 • 
Avatar image for superklyph
SuperKlyph

1901

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 11

User Lists: 0

Edited By SuperKlyph

I wonder how much money she spent on this.

7 • 
Avatar image for Iamkalell
Iamkalell

564

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 1

User Lists: 0

Not sure if there have been court costs for R*, but if there have she should have to pay every cent of that cost.

6 • 
Avatar image for Decoy77
Decoy77

267

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

@Iamkalell: I'm sure there were some court costs. But most of it would have been lawyer fees. Which I'm sure they can also and will probably counter sue for.

5 • 
Avatar image for Vodoo
Vodoo

3691

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 2

User Lists: 0

@Decoy77: Big corporations have in-house lawyers that work for them around the clock. So Take Two didn't spend a dime on lawyers.

Lindsey, on the other hand, probably spent a small fortune that she doesn't have, banking that Take Two would just want to settle out of court, which obviously they didn't. So now she's even more broke.

But the courts have the ability to charge someone for wasting the courts' time with frivolous lawsuits. However they rarely do it, which they should start. It would lower the amount of dumb lawsuits all around if people started getting charged for it.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for sdzald
sdzald

509

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

@Vodoo:

Its very possible Lindsey got some flee bag lawyer to take the case under contingency. In another words the lawyer does not get paid unless he wins.

There is a reason Researchers prefer to use lawyers in lab testing. There are just somethings you can't get rats to do ...

Upvote • 
Avatar image for DarkCaptain3
DarkCaptain3

625

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 2

User Lists: 0

The girl was based on Shelby Welinder who was freaking hired for it. Why does Lindsay Lohan honestly think she has a case for this??

8 • 
Avatar image for SaviorGabriel
SaviorGabriel

37

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

@DarkCaptain3: Either for money, or publicity.

3 • 
Avatar image for deactivated-64efdf49333c4
deactivated-64efdf49333c4

21783

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 36

User Lists: 0

@DarkCaptain3: It actually does look very similar to a picture Lohan did.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for lj40
LJ40

14

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 5

Edited By LJ40

@Barighm: There are literally a million photos of random attention whores giving a peace sign to the camera. It looks "very" similar to every single one of them.

8 • 
Avatar image for PrpleTrtleBuBum
PrpleTrtleBuBum

3845

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 16

User Lists: 0

I'll be missing this. Makes me feel forever young when the same headline pops up every month

So come back Linds! I believe in your crusade!

5 • 
Avatar image for Starshine_M2A2
Starshine_M2A2

5593

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 19

Edited By Starshine_M2A2

Maybe she needs some money.

3 • 
Avatar image for Cikatriz_ESP
Cikatriz_ESP

1002

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

This achieves a whole new level of ridiculous once you realize it was based on an actual person:

https://www.dailydot.com/parsec/gaming/gtav-grand-theft-auto-girl-bikini-model/

3 • 
Avatar image for deactivated-64efdf49333c4
deactivated-64efdf49333c4

21783

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 36

User Lists: 0

@Cikatriz_ESP: For those too lazy to read the link, she was based on Shelby Welinder. She even provided a copy of her pay stub to prove that she was, in fact, hired by Rockstar to model for the gig.

6 • 
Avatar image for playstationzone
PlaystationZone

3403

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 5

Take two in right they didn’t use Lindsay Lohan in gta 5 game there gave proof take two did.

Upvote • 
Avatar image for Shantmaster_K
Shantmaster_K

1790

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 36

User Lists: 0

Go away, Lindsay

2 • 
Avatar image for kaminobenimizu
KamiNoBeniMizu

1831

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Thank you, Justice! You had ONE job and you did it. Not only was the position generic, it was also said that the girl posing wasn't based on Lohan at all! It was that other one... uh... what was her name again? Drats! I forgot!

2 • 
Avatar image for freedom01
freedom01

3676

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 109

User Lists: 0

Edited By freedom01  Moderator

In the appeal, as spelled out by Gamasutra, the court concluded that "a computer generated image may constitute a portrait within the meaning of [Civil Rights Law sections 50 and 51]. We also conclude, however, that the subject images are not recognizable as plaintiff."

this need the meme/gif

"Now comes the part where we throw our head back and laugh"

3 • 
Avatar image for austinp
AustinP

109

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 5

Edited By AustinP

The girl in the game looks nothing like Lindsay Lohan.

4 •