Overview
- The Wisconsin Court of Appeals reversed the lower court and directed summary judgment for Scarlett Johnson, ending Mary MacCudden’s defamation claim.
- Chief Judge Maxine White and Judge M. Joseph Donald concluded terms like 'bully,' 'lunatic,' 'woke,' 'white savior,' and 'god complex' are nonactionable opinion.
- Judge Pedro Colón dissented, arguing the posts targeted a specific person and could imply undisclosed defamatory facts suitable for a jury to assess.
- The dispute began after Johnson’s October 2022 posts highlighted MacCudden’s LinkedIn listing as 'Social Justice Coordinator,' though she had resigned months earlier.
- The panel did not reach Johnson’s separate First Amendment argument, and the circuit court docket lists a status conference for Nov. 21.