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Federal Judge Awards Kevin O’Leary $2.8 Million in Defamation Case Against ‘BitBoy Crypto

The court entered a default judgment after Ben Armstrong failed to defend the lawsuit.

Overview

  • U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom in the Southern District of Florida entered a final default judgment in favor of Kevin O’Leary.
  • The award totals $2,828,000, including $78,000 for reputational harm, $750,000 for emotional distress, and $2,000,000 in punitive damages.
  • The case arose from March 2025 posts in which Armstrong falsely accused O’Leary of murder tied to a 2019 boating crash; court records show O’Leary was not the operator, was never charged, and Linda O’Leary was later exonerated.
  • Armstrong published O’Leary’s private phone number and urged followers to call him, prompting harassment and a 12-hour suspension of Armstrong’s X account.
  • Armstrong did not respond to the suit or appear at the damages hearing, then failed in a bid to vacate the default citing incarceration and mental health issues, with reporting noting separate arrests, regulatory scrutiny, and possible insolvency that could complicate collection.