Starting Statement with "LOL" Doesn't Keep The Assertion in It From Being Potentially Libelous |
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Starting Statement with "LOL" Doesn't Keep The Assertion in It From Being Potentially Libelous
Eugene Volokh | 5.13.2026 5:03 PM
From yesterday's decision by Judge Dana Sabraw (S.D. Cal.) in Button v. Lopresti:
The Court accepts the Amended Complaint's allegations as true for purposes of resolving the motion to dismiss. Dusty Button was a world-renowned and well-known ballet dancer. She accumulated nearly half a million followers and subscribers on Instagram until December 2021, when she deleted her social media account due to "severe cyber bullying and harassment." Mitchell Button was a part of "Button Built," a team and brand for automotive design, builds, and work in the automotive industry. Mitchell Button also had nearly half a million followers and subscribers on his Instagram account, @button_built. He too deleted this social media account in 2021 because of "severe cyber bullying and harassment." …
In July 2021, Plaintiffs were sued in the United States District Court of Nevada for $131,000,000 ("Nevada Lawsuit"). The Nevada Lawsuit was publicized in thousands of articles, televised on news and media outlets such as Good Morning America, and published on social media pages and channels. [The lawsuit involved allegations of sexual assault. -EV] The coverage of the Nevada Lawsuit states Plaintiffs were sued........