‘Someone owes me money’: Cosplayer Meg Turney searched Amazon for a Velma wig and says the top ad was her own face

Cosplayer and Twitch streamer Meg Turney recently claimed that she found herself promoting a product on Amazon without her consent. In an Instagram and TikTok post with hundreds of thousands of views, she shared that while trying to buy a new wig for her Velma cosplay, she discovered that a random seller was using photos of her and her friend, Jessica Nigri, to market the item.

In the video, Turney told her viewers, “Someone owes me money. Here I am minding my own business post shower, deciding to get myself a new Velma wig. I go to Amazon, I type in Velma wig and who is in the ad at the top of the page but me. That’s me and my friend Jessica Nigri and their ad.” To prove it, she uploaded screenshots from the seller’s Amazon page, where her photos are in the product video. 

“And then if you go to their product page,” she continued, “they have a bunch of other Velmas and Darshelle is like right next to their logo. Pay us all money. And it’s like the smallest thing, but this is definitely not the wig any of us are wearing in any of these photos. What the h-ll is wrong with companies?” Turney appeared to be referring to fellow cosplayer Darshelle Stevens, whose Velma photos she said also appeared on the seller’s page.

Turney put Amazon on the spot even though a third-party seller made the ad

Turney also called out Amazon directly in her caption, writing, “Imagine my surprise when I’m getting sold a wig by myself. Pay me money right now, @amazon (also yes I know it’s the company and not Amazon, but there’s a zero percent chance this random company’s going to do anything).” Attack of the Fanboy could not independently verify that the photos were used without permission, and the seller has not publicly responded to her post.

One of the first people who answered was Jessica Nigri, who asked, “shall we… lawyer up…” Many followers wrote that she should. Others were just angry for her. One commenter noted, “So not only are they using your image with out permission they are also false advertising. Am I too old or does anyone else remember when you couldn’t do either of these.” 

Another user mused, “not them ripping from all 3 of y’all, like you don’t know each other or something… the audacity.” Some users shared their own experiences with similar issues, with one stating, “the first time i cosplayed Uraraka my shoot photos ended up all over aliexpress with my face blurred out & my photos watermark. it’s wild how they get away with this just coz you posted the photos online.”

Heimlich Law points out that copyright infringement occurs when someone reproduces or displays a protected work without authorization, which can lead to significant statutory damages and injunctions. Copyright protection is automatic once an original work is created, though registering with the U.S. Copyright Office strengthens a creator’s ability to seek damages and attorney’s fees in court. In cosplay photos, the copyright often belongs to the photographer, but using someone’s likeness to sell a product without consent can raise separate legal claims.

According to Amazon’s seller guidelines, sellers are prohibited from uploading content they don’t own or lack permission to use. Sellers who upload images grant Amazon a license to use them, but the responsibility for making sure that content is original or licensed lies with the seller, and rights owners can report unauthorized use through Amazon’s infringement reporting tools.