Overview

• Taylor lodged his lawsuit on July 30 in federal court in California, naming ESPN and reporter Xuan Thai as defendants.
• He contends the March article falsely portrayed him as a bully by mischaracterizing two third-party investigations into his treatment of female staffers.
• Taylor must prove actual malice under public-figure defamation law and is seeking a jury trial without specifying damages.
• ESPN has declined to comment and maintains its reporting was accurate and thoroughly vetted.
• Both sides are preparing for discovery over confidential investigation records and source materials as Taylor aims to clear his name.