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.
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.
E. Jean Carroll’s Lawyers Push Back on DOJ’s Efforts to Intervene in Trump Suit
“There is not a single person in the United States—not the President and not anyone else—whose job description includes slandering women they sexually assaulted,” Roberta Kaplan wrote in response to the Department of Justice’s motion. “That should not be a controversial proposition. Remarkably, however, the Justice Department seeks to prove it wrong.”
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.
Judge Says Trump Can’t Dismiss E. Jean Carroll’s Defamation Suit
In her ruling, Justice Doris Ling-Cohan said that the president failed to submit any evidence in support of his request to dismiss Carroll's defamation lawsuit, writing “There is not even a tweet, much less an affidavit by defendant Trump in support of his motion."
Trump Asks Judge to Dismiss E. Jean Carroll’s Defamation Lawsuit
The lawyers argued in a motion on Friday that the suit cannot go forward because the statements were made in Washington and the case was filed in New York.
E. Jean Carroll Files a Defamation Suit Against Trump for Saying She Lied About Sexual Assault
“Decades ago, the now president of the United States raped me," said Carroll in a statement. "While I can no longer hold Donald Trump accountable for assaulting me more than 20 years ago, I can hold him accountable for lying about it and I fully intend to do so."