Playboy Slapped With Lawsuit Over Paul McCartney Mullet Photo

Playboy has found itself in a hairy legal situation, and it’s all because of Paul McCartney’s unfortunate grooming choices.

Playboy Enterprises has been slapped with a lawsuit by a photographer who claims that Playboy.com lifted his photo of the former Beatle for a gallery of famous mullets.

In his lawsuit, James Fortune says Playboy used his photo of McCartney for a 2014 slideshow titled “15 Hilariously Awesome Celebrity Mullets.”

Also Read: John Lennon's Poison-Pen Letter to Paul McCartney Fetches $30,000 at Auction

The slideshow apparently failed to amuse Fortune, who says Playboy didn’t license the copyrighted image.

“Playboy infringed Plaintiff’s copyright in the Photograph by reproducing and publicly displaying the Photograph on the website,” the suit, filed in federal court in New York on Saturday, reads. “Playboy is not, and has never been, licensed or otherwise authorized to reproduce, publicly display, distribute and/or use the Photograph.”

A spokesman for Playboy had no comment on the lawsuit for TheWrap.

Alleging copyright infringement, Fortune is seeking unspecified damages.

Also Read: Playboy Playmate Dani Mathers Charged With Crime for Body-Shaming Gym Photo

Fortune has also filed suit against Flavorpill Productions, claiming that his photo of Beach Boys singer Brian Wilson and The Who drummer Keith Moon was used without permission for an article titled “10 Notorious Pop Culture Recluses.”

Flavorpill has not yet responded to TheWrap’s request for comment.

Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.

Dani Mathers' Snapchat Scandal and 7 Other Playboy Playmate Controversies (Photos)

Dani Mathers -- the 2015 Playboy Playmate of the Year who's currently under criminal investigation after photographing a nude woman at her gym and posting it on Snapchat -- is the latest Playmate to make shocking headlines, but she's hardly the first.

Read on for TheWrap's history of Playmate controversies.
Getty Images
After serving as Playboy's 1968 Playmate of the Year using the name Angela Dorian, Victoria Vetri went on to appear in movies such as "Rosemary's Baby" and "When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth." Later, she would go on to receive a nine-year sentence for attempted voluntary manslaughter for shooting and wounding her husband during an argument.
Tanya Beyer was Playboy's Miss February 1992. She took a much less glamorous picture for her mug shot years later, after being arrested for trafficking in oxycodone.
The entire public life of Anna Nicole Smith (Playboy's 1993 Playmate of the Year) seemed to be one long controversy, from the battle over her billionaire husband J. Howard Marshall's fortune to her death in 2007 at age 39.
Sibling models Kristina and Karissa Shannon shared Playmate honors in Playboy's combined 2009 "summer issue." However, the two Playmates almost became inmates when they were charged with felony aggravated assault stemming from a fight at a house party. Luckily for them they received probation.
Perhaps not so much a controversy as a tragedy, Playboy's 1980 Playmate of the Year Dorothy Stratten was murdered that same year, at age 20, by her estranged manager/husband Paul Snider. Her story inspired two movies, "Death of a Centerfold: The Dorothy Stratten Story" and "Star 80."
Playboy's 50th anniversary Playmate Colleen Shannon loved her boyfriend so much that she smuggled him into the U.S. from Canada. She was sentenced to four months in prison after pleading guilty.
After scoring Playmate of the Month honors in December 2009, Crystal Hefner (nee Harris) became engaged to Playboy boss Hugh Hefner in 2010. Apparently those wedding bells began to hit some bum notes, and she broke off the engagement in 2011, just days before they were to be wed. The abrupt about-face prompted Playboy to slap stickers reading "Runaway Bride" on the July issue of Playboy, which featured her on the cover. The good news? The pair reunited and married for real in 2012.
Getty Images

1 of 8

From human smuggling to attempted manslaughter, a history of misdeeds committed by women who’ve appeared in Hugh Hefner’s skin mag

Dani Mathers -- the 2015 Playboy Playmate of the Year who's currently under criminal investigation after photographing a nude woman at her gym and posting it on Snapchat -- is the latest Playmate to make shocking headlines, but she's hardly the first.

Read on for TheWrap's history of Playmate controversies.

View In Gallery

Dani Mathers' Snapchat Scandal and 7 Other Playboy Playmate Controversies (Photos)

7DAYFREETRIAL

7
DAY
FREE
TRIAL