Court ruling allows woman to sue "Girls Gone Wild" over picture

CARTERSVILLE, Ga. — A woman whose picture was used on the cover of a "Girls Gone Wild" video without her permission has grounds to sue the video's producers according to a ruling from Georgia's highest court.

Lindsey Boyd, formerly Lindsey Bullard, was 14 years old in April 2000 when she traveled to Florida with friends on a supervised spring break trip.

She agreed to flash a man with a video camera and told Channel 2's Amy Napier Viteri she had no idea that image would be sold to "Girls Gone Wild" where it ended up in TV and online ads as well as on the cover of "Girls Gone Wild, College Girls Exposed."

"It's crazy. I can't believe I'm 27 years old with a baby and a husband and a career," Boyd told Viteri. "I would just say that one stupid decision, I mean it's changed my life. it has completely changed my life."

Boyd said she hoped to finally leave that decision behind her after Georgia's Supreme Court ruled she has grounds to sue the producers of the video.

According to the court, she "is a private citizen whose image was arguably used without her consent to endorse a product for commercial gain."

"She clearly is a child in the picture," said Jeff Banks, Boyd's attorney.

Banks was disappointed the court didn't address whether Boyd, at just 14, was capable of consenting to be in the video.

"Whether I consented to do that or not, which I didn't consent, you're still 14 years old I'm still a child," Boyd said.

She changed high schools three times after the photo went public and told Viteri her reputation still suffers.

"Hopefully people will learn from it we can all move on," Boyd said.

Boyd said she would like to see legislation passed to protect kids in similar situations.

Her case will head back to federal court where she and her attorney will wait for a trial date.

WSBTV