Tag Archives: Defamation

Rapper Turns Red Over Instagram Lawsuit

Controversy rolls on

Everyone knows the saying “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” but in this day age words and statements are not to be taken lightly and can cause a lot of damage. While social media gives celebrities the ability to speak their minds to their fans, there have been plenty of public figures that have eaten their written words when they have not been cautious about while posting about others. In a recent incident, hip-hop superstar Jayceon Taylor, better known as The Game, has recently came out with a slanderous statement about his previous babysitter, Karen Monroe, on Instagram and Twitter. This resulted in a lawsuit from Ms. Monroe, who states The Game hurt her reputation. Read More

Yelp Lawsuit Raises Freedom of Speech Issue

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A rock-solid lawsuit?

The founding fathers could never have imagined what path freedom of speech has taken since our country’s inception.  Case in point, a character defamation lawsuit has been filed against a Yelp user who gave a negative review to a local contractor.  The defendant, Dietz Development, claims that online feedback is one of the most important ways a potential buyer or client uses when they make a decision on whether or not to use a service and is seeking $750,000 in damages.  The Yelp user, Jane Perez, has been defending her claims in court since late November, stating that she was simply exercising her freedom of speech after what she felt was an unsatisfying service.  A Judge in Southern California has ordered her to edit her comments via a preliminary injunction. Read more

Anthrax Settles With Ex-Singer, Shreds Original Request

Musical mishap

Anthrax members Charlie Benante, Frank Bello, and frequent VH1 panelist Scott Ian found themselves caught in a mosh in 2009 when Dan Nelson sued the group for some inaccurate statements they made after his departure from the band.  The band  published that an illness had caused the singer to leave and the band to cancel an upcoming concert tour.  Nelson pursued a $2.65 million lawsuit to refute Anthrax’s “intentional defamation” and collect lost royalties.  “I was never seriously ill or sick at all, as reported in Anthrax’s 7/17/09 press release,” said Nelson. “This statement misled fans, friends, and family members into believing that I was seriously ill when I was not.”  To settle the suit, Nelson was offered a confidential, yet “fairly small”, monetary amount and was given co-writing credit on 11 of the 14 songs on the band’s 2011 release Worship Music.