Music Producer “Dr. Luke” Not a Public Figure, NY Appellate Court Rules
Dr. Luke is suing pop star Kesha over claims she made that he raped both her and singer Katy Perry. Free expression groups have argued that courts should interpret the public figure doctrine more broadly in libel suits involving sexual assault claims.
MLB Umpire Joe West Hits it Out of the Park with $500,000 Defamation Award
Justice John J. Kelley of the New York Supreme Court, a trial-level court, has awarded Major League Baseball umpire Joe West $500,000 in a defamation lawsuit. West sued former MLB catcher Paul Lo Duca for making defamatory statements during a 2019 podcast show.
Summer Zervos’ Defamation Suit Against Trump Moves Forward
The New York Court of Appeals has ruled that Summer Zervos’ lawsuit against former President Donald Trump can continue now that Trump is no longer in office. The former "Apprentice" star is suing Trump after he publicly denied her accusations of sexual assault.
Virginia Parole Board Chair Seeks $7 Million in Defamation Lawsuit
Tonya Chapman, chair of the Virginia Parole Board, filed a defamation lawsuit on March 29th in the Circuit Court for the City of Richmond against CBS affiliate WTVR-TV and reporter Jonathan Burkett. The lawsuit stems from Burkett’s reporting on a draft report from the Office of the State Inspector General (OSIG) that allegedly implicated Chapman’s involvement in the early release of a prisoner.
Dominion Voting Systems Sues Fox for Defamation
The voting technology company is suing Fox News for $1.6 billion in damages for spreading false information that their technology was used to rig the 2020 presidential election.
Sidney Powell Asks Court To Toss Dominion Voting Systems’ $1.3 Billion Defamation Lawsuit
In a motion submitted on Monday, Powell’s lawyers argue that her statements are not actionable under defamation law because she made them as an advocate-attorney of Donald Trump. Dean of Missouri Law School Lyrissa Lidsky called this argument absurd: "Attorneys have ethical obligations not to lie, and she made the false statements in her capacity as an attorney."
Court Tosses Trump Campaign’s Defamation Suit Against the New York Times
The suit against the Times was part of a string of lawsuits the Trump campaign filed in 2020 against media companies. So far, two have been dismissed and one remains ongoing.
Federal Judge Tosses Devin Nunes’ $435 Million Lawsuit Against CNN
The judge wrote that California Representative Devin Nunes failed to state adequate claims and to request a retraction before he filed his lawsuit against CNN.