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Franck Ribery demands $1.5m from CNN in damages over dead woman article

French winger and Bayern Munich player Franck Ribery is demanding that American media outlet CNN pays him $1.5m in damages for using a picture of him in an article about a woman who was found dead, having frozen to death in a cryotherapy chamber.

His lawyer, Carlo Alberto Brusa, explained the reasoning behind the damages claim to RTL. The image in question, which depicts Franck Ribery using a cryotherapy chamber as part of his training routine, was used to illustrate the different uses of cryotherapy in the article.

“Using an image of Franck Ribery to illustrate cryotherapy and notably the fact that it can kill people, is a very morbid association that was made without authorisation on the part of CNN.”

“Indecency, is the use of the image of Franck Ribery (when asked if the damages claim for $1.5m was not a bit indecent). We are speaking of the most important channel in the world. By using the image of Ribery, they considered that their story could generate hype because he is world-renowned. And this sum could be used for charity or medical research.”