Danielle Larwence v. Rodrick Brown et al

  • Court: Supreme Court, New York
  • Case Number: 606315/2021
  • Filed: May 20, 2021
  • Judges: Felice Muraca
  • Case Type: Torts – Other (Revenge Porn)
  • Cause: Violation of New York State Civil Rights Law § 52-b and Negligent Infliction of Emotional Distress

Parties Involved

  • Plaintiff(s):Danielle Larwence
    • Counsel for Plaintiff:Katherine Elise Mayo |  Andrew Marc Stengel
  • Defendant(s): Rodrick Brown|  Stacyann Thompson
    • Counsel for Defendants: Mark Anthony Crawford | Garfield A Heslop

Verdict Information

  • Verdict Date: April 24, 2024
  • Damages awarded to Plaintiff: $1,530,000.
    • Roderick Brown: $4,00,000
    • Stacyann Thompson: $1,000,000.00
    • Attorney’s fees: $15,00,00 each
    • For negligent infliction of emotional distress, Roderick Brown: $100,000

About the Case

Cause

In January 2020, Lawrence and Defendant Brown connected on the dating app Tinder, initiating a long-distance romantic relationship that extended until around July 2020. During Brown’s visit to Jamaica in July 2020, he surreptitiously recorded intimate videos of Lawrence without her knowledge or consent, capturing sexual acts. Despite Lawrence’s objections upon discovering the recordings, Brown disseminated at least one video to a mutual friend, Andre Chin, via text message from his New York-based phone number. Subsequently, an Instagram user sent one of the videos directly to Lawrence and forwarded it to several of her family, friends, and contacts, while additional videos were publicly posted on various platforms, including YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter, under the account “Naggy World TV,” encouraging further requests for such content.

It was alleged that Defendant Thompson, residing with Brown in Valley Stream, New York, obtained the videos from an iPad synced to Brown’s phone, purportedly motivated by jealousy and spite towards Lawrence. Thompson was accused of disseminating and publishing the private, intimate videos online and to Lawrence’s contacts without consent, originating from Nassau County.

Injury

Despite Lawrence’s efforts, the videos remained publicly accessible online, resulting in significant emotional distress, anxiety, embarrassment, humiliation, and reputational harm. The complaint cited violations of New York’s civil rights law, addressing the unlawful dissemination of intimate images, and accused Brown of negligent infliction of emotional distress.

Damages

Lawrence sought substantial monetary damages from both defendants. This included compensatory and punitive damages. Additionally, he pursued injunctive relief, demanding the removal and prohibition of further dissemination of the videos. Additionally, Lawrence requested attorney’s fees, costs, pre-judgment interest, and any other just relief deemed appropriate by the court.

Jury Verdict

The jury verdict ordered Roderick Brown to pay a total of $400,000 in compensatory damages, along with $150,000 in punitive damages for the first cause of action. The court found Stacyann Thompson liable for $1,000,000 in compensatory damages and $250,000 in punitive damages. In the second cause of action, the court ordered Brown to pay $100,000 in damages. This was for negligent infliction of emotional distress. Each party was ordered to pay attorney’s fees of $15,000, resulting in total damages of $1,530,000.

Court Documents: Available upon Request