KJ Apa Calls Out Image Thief: Career on the Line

When your face becomes a commodity and someone else is cashing in on it, staying silent stops being an option. That’s where KJ Apa finds himself right now—frustrated, angry, and watching his career prospects take a hit because of what he’s calling outright identity theft.

On Wednesday, May 6, the 28-year-old Riverdale actor uploaded an Instagram video that pulled no punches. He didn’t name Mr. Fantasy directly, but the message was crystal clear: someone has stolen his image, his likeness, even his tattoos, and is using it to build a music career while Apa watches serious job opportunities slip away. The breaking point? A recent“Do Me Right”music video featuring several of Apa’s former Riverdale costars—Camila Mendes, Lili Reinhart, and Madelaine Petsch—which made the whole situation impossible to ignore.

“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,”Apa explained in the video. What stings worse than the theft itself? The professional fallout. Apa revealed he’d lost out on a major job opportunity because casting directors and industry insiders now see him as a punchline rather than a serious actor.“I just lost out on a huge job and can no longer go in for serious work because people think that I’m a joke because of this guy,”he said.

The viral musician—known for his distinctive black bob and, well, noticeable teeth—has largely downplayed the resemblance in past interviews. Back in November 2025, when asked about comparisons to Apa by The Hollywood Reporter, Mr. Fantasy brushed it off with spiritual talk about keeping“eyes upward”and trudging“the happy road of happy destiny.”But Apa’s fed up with the dismissal.“This person advocates for positivity and for kindness and all this stuff,”he said.“Look in the mirror and tell yourself that you’re not a f***ing liar and a thief. Because that’s exactly what you are.”

The response from Apa’s industry circle was swift and supportive. Zoey Deutch, who appeared in the“Do Me Right”video, posted an apology in the comments, saying she had no idea the collaboration was hurting Apa and pledged not to work with Mr. Fantasy again. Even Madelyn Cline chimed in with a deadpan reference:“Identify theft is not a joke.”

At its core, this is about more than just looking alike. It’s about someone leveraging another person’s appearance, persona, and hard-earned reputation for clout and success—and the real consequences that creates for the person being imitated. Apa’s willingness to go public suggests he’s run out of patience for behind-the-scenes solutions. Whether Mr. Fantasy responds or doubles down on his spiritual zen routine remains to be seen, but one thing’s certain: the tension between them just became impossible to ignore.