Defamation

The long-running dispute between Pamela K. Hartnett and Charles and Mari Hardenbergh reached a decisive conclusion when a Virginia jury issued a split verdict on May 22, 2025. The jury rejected all of Hartnett’s assault, battery, emotional distress, defamation, and conspiracy claims. However, it found Charles Hardenbergh and his law firm liable for defamation, awarding Hartnett $200,000 in compensatory and $450,000 in punitive damages. Both Charles and Mari Hardenbergh were also found liable for trespass, resulting in additional punitive damages. The outcome shifted sharply when the jury considered the counterclaims. It determined that Hartnett maliciously prosecuted Mari Hardenbergh in connection with a December 2019 criminal complaint. Mari received $950,000 in compensatory and $50,000 in punitive damages. The jury cleared Hartnett on the remaining malicious prosecution counts. The verdict closed a contentious legal battle marked by conflicting narratives of violence, reputational harm, and retaliatory litigation.

In a high-profile federal case, music producer Leland T. Wayne, known as Metro Boomin, prevailed against civil sexual battery allegations filed by Vanessa LeMaistre. The case, heard in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, centered on claims that Wayne acted inappropriately during a professional meeting. LeMaistre sought economic, non-economic, and punitive damages for alleged emotional distress and reputational harm. After a multi-day trial before Judge R. Gary Klausner, the jury found no liability on all counts, concluding that the Plaintiff’s evidence did not meet the standard required for civil sexual battery. Judgment was entered on October 24, 2025, declaring Wayne the prevailing party entitled to recover court costs.

The case, John Malik v. Deccan Value LLC, et al., heard in the Superior Court of Stamford-Norwalk, Connecticut, pitted former business executive John Malik against the investment management entities and their principal, Vinit M. Bodas. Malik had filed a multi-count complaint, alleging breach of contract, failure to pay wages, statutory theft, unjust enrichment, and defamation, primarily stemming from disputes over his compensation and termination. The defendants, Deccan Value LLC and Bodas, denied all allegations and asserted that Malik had been properly paid and that his conduct justified their actions. After a jury trial that concluded on August 13, 2025, the jury returned a complete defense verdict. The jury considered each of Malik's 14 claims, including Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress, Breach of Contract, Fraudulent Inducement, and Defamation Per Se. On every single count, the jury found in favor of the Deccan entities and Bodas, relieving them of all liability for damages and punitive measures sought by Malik.

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

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

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

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,

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

[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

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

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