Clare Locke Moves to Back Megan Thee Stallion’s Bid to Restore Defamation Ruling in Florida
The prominent defamation firm urges a Florida judge to deny media-law protections to influencers to potentially revive a vacated defamation award, signaling possible guidance for online publishers.
Overview
- Clare Locke LLP asked the Southern District of Florida for permission to file an amicus brief supporting Megan Thee Stallion’s motion to reinstate a jury’s defamation finding against Milagro Cooper.
- The filing argues Florida’s retraction-demand statute protects only members of the media who further neutral dissemination of information, which the firm says does not cover influencers.
- Cooper testified she is an entertainer rather than a journalist, and jurors found she did not impartially disseminate information or provide disinterested commentary, according to the submission.
- A judge previously vacated the defamation portion of the verdict, and Megan is seeking to restore a vacated award reported at about $16,000, with the court yet to rule on either request.
- Clare Locke warns that extending the statute to influencers would force victims to invite additional attacks through retraction demands and draws a distinction between traditional newsrooms and bloggers driven by clicks.