Bryce Harper Says FanDuel Hijacked His Cameo Video Without Permission

When Bryce Harper agreed to film a personalized Cameo video back in November 2024, he thought he was just doing what millions of celebrities do on that platform: connecting with a fan willing to pay for a custom message. What he didn’t know was that his video would end up repurposed as a gambling promotion by FanDuel, attached to someone’s story of losing millions wagering on sports.

The whole thing came to light in early July when the Philadelphia Inquirer reported on the video’s existence. Turns out, someone identifying themselves as“Bryttanni”had ordered the video through Cameo’s personal category, not the business option. The person who placed the order? Apparently someone with a serious gambling problem — Terry Thompson, who had wagered $18.5 Million with FanDuel since 2020 and lost about $2 Million on bets. The video later surfaced as part of a FanDuel VIP promotion, which is where things get uncomfortable fast.

Harper’s response came swift and clear: he didn’t approve any of this. In a statement posted to Instagram, the Philadelphia Phillies superstar explained that he read the script in good faith, filmed it as a personal video, and had absolutely no idea FanDuel would slap its logo on the footage and turn it into a gambling ad. More importantly, he was unaware that the request involved someone with a documented gambling addiction issue.“I did not know FanDuel would do this, I did not consent to it, and FanDuel had no right to do it,”he said flatly.

This raises a thorny question about the crossover between celebrity endorsements and the wild west of social media platforms. MLB rules allow players to appear in gambling advertisements, but they’re forbidden from encouraging wagers on baseball specifically. Harper maintains he’s got no affiliation with FanDuel whatsoever and claims that if he’d known the full context, he never would have taken the Cameo order in the first place. The fact that his legal team has told him to stop talking about it publicly? That suggests lawyers are already involved, and something bigger might be brewing.

It’s a cautionary tale about how quickly a harmless creator gig can spiral when the wrong people get hold of it — and a stark reminder that the line between personal brand and commercial exploitation is thinner than most celebrities probably realize.