Overview
- Ryan Kennedy filed the suit on Feb. 3 in Wayne County Circuit Court, seeking damages and court-ordered public retractions.
- Defendants include DK Metcalf, the Pittsburgh Steelers, Chad Johnson, Shay Shay Media, All Time Sports (The Volume), and Ford Field Management.
- Kennedy alleges defamation tied to Nightcap remarks that he used racial and misogynistic slurs, which he denies and says lack any audio or video evidence, asserting Metcalf was the original source.
- The filing also brings assault and battery claims over the Dec. 21 incident captured on broadcast, noting the NFL suspended Metcalf two games for initiating contact with a fan.
- Additional counts cite negligence and premises liability against Ford Field and vicarious liability against the Steelers, while Kennedy says the accusations led to threats and business harm; no defendants had publicly responded as of Tuesday.