Defamation
Browse all defamation jury verdicts and settlements

Jury Awards $550K to Oveissi in Defamation Case
August 29, 2025
This case grew from a fractured relationship between two Iranian American men living in Connecticut. Shahryar Oveissi, a businessman and philanthropist, claimed that Michael Benjamin, an entrepreneur and website developer, had defamed him through a series of online publications.The men had first met in 2004, when Oveissi supported Benjamin’s campaign for political office. Years later, in 2021, Benjamin reconnected with Oveissi, seeking financial backing for a relaunch of his company, Interactive Media Awards (IMA). Oveissi declined to invest but offered to connect him with other possible backers.Shortly after, Benjamin published an online report and websites alleging corruption by Oveissi and his late father, General Gholam Ali Oveissi, a former commander in the Shah of Iran’s army.Oveissi filed suit alleging defamation, invasion of privacy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. He claimed Benjamin acted maliciously after failing to secure investment

Court Dismisses $100B Lawsuit Against Meta
August 20, 2025
Dewy Gene Tosi lived in Scotts Valley, California. On December 19, 2024, he filed a lawsuit in the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Cruz. He accused Meta and related entities of misconduct linked to Facebook activity. He claimed the matter involved stalking, child molestation, and news reporting issues tied to social media platforms.Tosi alleged that false information appeared on Facebook and spread across Meta platforms. He claimed this content connected him to serious crimes. He argued the publications were false and harmful. He accused the defendants of removing truthful information and replacing it with damaging reports. He believed this activity was deliberate and malicious.As a result, Tosi said he endured public harm. He reported reputational damage, fear, and emotional distress. He claimed the actions disrupted his personal life and community standing.Tosi demanded $100,000,000,000 in damages. He sought compensation for reputational harm, em

CNN Ordered to Pay $5M in Veteran's Defamation Lawsuit
January 21, 2025
On March 31, 2022, Plaintiff Zachary Young filed a Defamation lawsuit in the United States District Court, Florida Southern (Case number: 9:22cv80527). Judge Rodolfo A. Ruiz, II presided over this case. In late 2021, during the chaotic aftermath of the Taliban's resurgence in Afghanistan, Zachary Young, a former U.S. Navy veteran and government operative, recognized an urgent need for professional evacuation services. Leveraging his decades of experience in high-risk environments and his network of trusted contacts, Young began providing safe and legal evacuations for multinational corporations and NGOs through Nemex Enterprises Inc., his Florida-based consulting company. Young directed his efforts exclusively toward organizations with the resources to fund these operations. He advertised on LinkedIn, a professional networking platform, explicitly targetin

Former GDOR Investigator Wins $755k Verdict in Defamation Lawsuit Against Podcast Host
January 17, 2025
On July 9, 2021, Amy Doherty-Heinze filed a defamation lawsuit against Michael T. Chrisley in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Newnan Division. She accused Chrisley of libel and slander, alleging he falsely claimed she misappropriated state funds. Chrisley made these statements on Facebook, Instagram, and his podcast,

ABC News Settles Defamation Lawsuit with Trump by Paying $15 Million to Presidential Library
December 16, 2024
On March 18, 2024, Plaintiff Donald J. Trump filed a Defamation lawsuit in the United States District Court Southern District of Florida, Miami Division(Case number: 1:24cv21050). This case was assigned to Chief Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga and referred to Magistrate Judge Lisette M. Reid Plaintiff Donald J. Trump filed a defamation lawsuit against American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. (ABC News), and George Stephanopoulos. He alleged that the Defendants made false and defamatory statements during a televised interview that aired on a widely watched program. In the broadcast, ABC News and Stephanopoulos allegedly stated and implied that a prior legal proceeding involving Trump and E. Jean Carroll had resulted in him being found liable for rape. Trump emphasized that these statements misrepresented the outcomes of the lawsuits, as neither Carroll I nor Carro

Walmart to Pay $34.7M to Truck Driver in Defamation Lawsuit
November 25, 2024
[fusion_builder_container type="flex" hundred_percent="no" equal_height_columns="no" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" background_position="center center" background_repeat="no-repeat" fade="no" background_parallax="none" parallax_speed="0.3" video_aspect_ratio="16:9" video_loop="yes" video_mute="yes" border_style="solid"][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" type="1_1" background_position="left top" border_style="solid" border_position="all" spacing="yes" background_repeat="no-repeat" margin_top="0px" margin_bottom="0px" animation_speed="0.3" animation_direction="left" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" center_content="no" last="no" hover_type="none" min_height="" link=""][fusion_text] On March 28, 2024, Jesus Fonseca filed a defamation lawsuit against Walmart after he was falsely accused of workers' compensation fraud and

$8M Victory for Billionaire Christopher Chandler in Defamation Case Over False Russian Intelligence Links
October 25, 2024
On September 14, 2018, Christopher Chandler, chairman and founder of the global investment firm Legatum Group, filed a defamation lawsuit against Donald Berlin. The case revolved around a 2003 dossier created by Berlin containing explosive false allegations against Chandler that were repeated by Members of Parliament and the British press beginning in 2017. The defamation suit was filed in the United States District Court, District of Columbia (Washington, DC). Judge Amit P. Mehta presided over this case. [Case number: 1:18cv2136] Plaintiff Christopher Chandler filed a defamation lawsuit against Donald Berlin and his network of corporate entities known as Investigative Consultants Inc. (ICI). Berlin used ICI to deceive individuals seeking investigative services. He lured clients into paying exorbitant fees for worthless background reports filled with damaging false claims about various individuals, including the Chandler brot

On March 17, 2022, Plaintiff Nicole Jennings Wade and others filed a Defamation lawsuit in the United States District Court, Georgia Northern(Case number: 1:22cv1073). Judge Michael L. Brown presided over the case. Nicole Jennings Wade, Jonathan D. Grunberg, and G. Taylor Wilson practiced law at L. Lin Wood, P.C. (LLW PC) until February 14, 2020. After establishing their own firm, Wade, Grunberg & Wilson, LLC, they faced a series of threatening communications and public accusations from Wood. Initially, the parties resolved their disputes through three separate agreements, including the February 17 Agreement and the March 17 Agreement, which outlined fee allocations for resolved cases. Wood later violated these agreements, making defamatory statements about the plaintiffs to his approximately 850,000 Telegram followers. Between May and June 2021, Wood

Zurich Insurance Hit with $2.9M Verdict in a Defamation Case
August 23, 2024
On December 12, 2018, Plaintiff Melinda Brentley filed a Defamation lawsuit in the California State Superior Court of Sacramento County (Case number: 34-2018-00246315-CU-DF-GDS). Judge Jeffrey S. Galvin presided over the case. Melinda Brantley began working at Zurich American Insurance Company in July 2005 as a Senior Claims Examiner. She briefly left in December 2011 but returned in December 2012, retaining her seniority. In October 2013, Zurich promoted Brantley to Workers' Compensation Team Manager, where she oversaw a team of 10-12 professionals. Her supervisor, Chris Omen, was the Assistant Vice President of Workers' Compensation at Zurich's Rancho Cordova branch. From around 2013 until his departure, Omen instituted an unofficial reward system known as "Omen Days"—free paid time off (PTO) given to high-performing employees. These days were not recorded in Zurich's official PTO system. Brantley us

On September 30, 2020, Johnny Ha and his wife, Jenny Pham, and mother-in-law Helen Le filed a defamation lawsuit against Tina Conn for posting videos about them on YouTube slandering and defaming them using vulgar and obscene language. The case was heard before the United States District Court, Vermont, Burlington Division and Judge William K. Sessions III presided over this case. [Case number: 2:20cv155] Plaintiff Johnny Ha, also known as Mr. Ha, lived in Alexandria, Virginia. He was married to Jenny Pham, who also resided in Alexandria and was the daughter of Helen Le. Helen Le, a resident of Alexandria, was Jenny’s mother and Johnny’s mother-in-law. Defendant Tina Conn, a Vermont resident, posted several videos on YouTube. In these videos, she made derogatory statements about the Plaintiffs. Her videos, which were viewed hundreds of times, falsely accused the plaintiffs of criminal acts, including adultery, prostitution, and bestiality

California Medical Malpractice Lawsuit: No Negligence Found in Hernia Repair and Tummy Tuck Surgery
August 16, 2024
On November 25, 2019, Deborah K. Davis and her husband, Richard F. Davis filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against Leslie Memsic M.D. et al. alleging negligence and fraud before the California Superior Court, Los Angeles County. Judge Lisa K. Sepe Wiesenfeld presided over this case. [Case number: 19STCV42419] On November 28, 2018, Plaintiff Deborah underwent surgery with Defendant Leslie Memsic at Innova Surgery Center. The procedures included hernia repair, diastasis rectus repair, and a tummy tuck. Defendant Memsic consistently claimed during pre-surgical visits that she had the same skills and experience as a board-certified plastic surgeon. However, on November 28, 2018, Memsic allegedly did not complete the hernia and diastasis rectus repairs properly. She allegedly performed a different procedure instead of the proposed tummy tuck. Deborah and her family did not consent

On June 06, 2024, the California jury deliberated and returned the verdict in favor of the Plaintiff Doris Peniche. She had filed this lawsuit against the California Highway Patrol and its employees for intrusion of privacy, distribution of private sexually explicit material, defamation, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. On May 18, 2020, Doris Peniche filed an intrusion of privacy lawsuit against the California Highway Patrol before the California Superior Court, LA County. Hon. Joseph Lipner presided over this case. [Case number: 20STCV18935] The California Highway Patrol (CHP) had a long-standing practice of dismissing employees early from assignments while compensating them for a full shift. This practice involved paying CHP employees for the entire assignment even if they were sent home early. To gather evidence for administrative interrogations against officers who re