Director Ava DuVernay and Netflix Sued for Defamation
On March 18th, Linda Fairstein, the former head of Manhattan District Attorney’s Sex Crime unit, sued Netflix director Ava DuVernay, and co-writer and producer Attica Locke for defamation. The lawsuit, filed in district court in Fort Myers, Florida, claims that DuVernay’s five-part series, “When They See Us,” contains scenes that portray Fairstein “in a false and defamatory manner.”
President Trump Files Third Defamation Lawsuit, Targets CNN
“These suits will likely fail in court but in the meantime they’ll gratify Trump’s base, distract the press and public, and deter speech and journalism that are vital to our democracy. That's presumably the point," Director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University Jameel Jaffer said on Twitter.
Trump Campaign Sues Washington Post for Defamation, One Week after NY Times Lawsuit
The eight-page complaint, filed in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, claims that two essays falsely accused his campaign of conspiring with foreign governments to interfere with the 2016 election.
President Trump’s Re-Election Campaign Sues The New York Times Over an Opinion Piece
Filed in New York's Supreme Court, the suit alleges that the newspaper knowingly published false information about his campaign's ties to Russia. He is represented by lawyer Charles J. Harder, who is known for successfully defending Hulk Hogan against Gawker Media.
Federal Court Dismisses Virginia Lt. Governor’s $400 Million Defamation Suit Against CBS
In September 2019, Justin Fairfax sued CBS over its interviews and subsequent coverage of two sexual assault claims against him. This week, a U.S. District Judge dismissed his claims, citing no evidence that CBS' coverage would have led a reasonable viewer to assume they were true or that the organization endorsed the women's allegations.
In An Ongoing Trial, New York Court Says Kesha’s Texts to Lady Gaga Defamed “Dr. Luke”
The decision is part of a closely followed defamation case filed by music producer Lukasz “Dr. Luke” Gottwald, who claimed that Kesha falsely accused him of raping her when the two started working together in 2005.
Virginia Legislature Looks to Strengthen State’s Anti-SLAPP Law
Current loopholes in the state's law have lured a number of individuals into using Virginia courts to intimidate their critics. For example, of the six defamation complaints Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) filed in the past year, four were filed in Virginia.
Jeff Bezos Faces Defamation Lawsuit Brought by Girlfriend’s Brother
Michael Sanchez, the brother of Jeff Bezos’s current girlfriend, Lauren Sanchez, is suing the Amazon CEO for defamation for allegedly spreading false rumors that Sanchez shared nude photos of Bezos and his sister with the National Enquirer.