I Signed An Overly Broad Creative Contract To While In A Relationship With My Ex Boyfriend. What Are My Options?

Location: NC, USA

A few years ago, I signed an overly broad contract over to my ex boyfriend, giving him perpetual rights to any and all footage of taken of me over the years, most of it being while I was intoxicated, as well as my original music.

I also signed over rights to my childhood footage, which he was paid to digitize by my aunt. I’m not sure I had the right to sign that away, given that the IP was my late mother’s, which was still wrapped up in probate at the time of signing.

I revoked my consent, but he’s continued to create websites etc. advertising this movie. I’m not certain what the movie is about, or how he will portray me.

He has a history of using the footage to portray me as unstable/BPD, which he informally “diagnosed” me with at the age of 17, when he was 19. These are mostly creative films, not many views, like an indie montage of footage, symbols, etc.

I spoke to an attorney and he said the contract seemed solid, but I may be able to pursue breach of contract, given that I didn’t sign a contract for numerous other projects he’s uploaded and continued to keep up since my revoking of consent. I signed the contract after I said “can I sign after I see the draft?” And he responded, “I’ll show you a draft once it’s done, I’m getting everyone’s signatures now,” and the attorney said he could easily cure it by showing me a draft. It doesn’t mean he has to change anything.

Is there anything I can do? The relationship is associated with serious psychological trauma, and I don’t want my name or likeness to be associated with any of his projects. I think that he is fixated, and that his friend group has enabled him to do so, despite our relationship being over for 2 years. Things ended messily, and he basically has right to use 2-3 years of vulnerable & informal footage, including videos of me as a baby/toddler, to portray me in a way that’s untrue and harmful to me.

It also included a clause that I won’t raise any claims related to right to publicity/likeness etc. Is there any hope? The lawyer appeared to be conservative, and he didn’t mention anything about a declaratory judgement. Is this something I can file and pursue myself?