KJ Apa says a recent music video crossed a line and damaged his career. In a video posted Monday, he accused the person behind Mr. Fantasy of stealing his image and likeness after a release that featured people close to him.
“There was recently a music video that was released that included a bunch of people who are really close to me by a guy who’s completely and utterly stolen my image and misappropriated my image and my likeness, and I think we all know who we’re talking about, and it’s fucked up,” Apa said. He added that the situation has been hurting him and his work, saying he lost “a huge job” and can no longer go in for serious roles because people now think he is a joke.
The dispute centers on Mr. Fantasy’s “Do Me Right” video, which featured cameos from Lili Reinhart, Camila Mendes and Madelaine Petsch. Apa said the project pulled in people who are close to him, and he closed his message by calling the alleged culprit “a fucking liar and a thief.”
The controversy has also fed an online theory that Apa is the man behind the shoddy wig, plastic sunnies and fake teeth linked to Mr. Fantasy. Rolling Stone said many fans online believe the actor is the one playing the imposter, though the accusation has not been established in Apa’s remarks. The article also described Mr. Fantasy as a so-called imposter whose video brought in other familiar names including Sombr, Rob Lowe, Dave Franco, Alex Warren, Zoey Deutch, Nick Jonas and Patrick Schwarzenegger.
For now, the public fight has moved past gossip and into reputation damage. Apa’s message was not vague or playful: he said the situation is affecting the jobs he can get, and he wants the man behind Mr. Fantasy to stop presenting himself as someone built on positivity while, in Apa’s words, behaving like a liar and a thief.
