Pryor Cashman Wins Dismissal of Libel Suit Against TMZ Productions, Inc.
Pryor Cashman secured a victory for its client, TMZ Productions, Inc., in a lawsuit brought in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey by a plaintiff alleging that TMZ published defamatory statements on its website.
Various media outlets, including TMZ, published news articles describing an investigation by the New York Attorney General’s Office in which Plaintiff Janice Lee was falsely implicated in a drug and prostitution ring. After her name was cleared of any wrongdoing, Lee brought suit against multiple media outlets, including TMZ, alleging that they had published defamatory articles regarding the investigation.
Pryor Cashman moved to dismiss Lee’s claims, arguing that TMZ’s articles were protected by the fair-report privilege, which protects the publication of matters that appear in a report of an official action or proceeding. Pryor Cashman argued that, because TMZ’s articles presented a fair, full and accurate account of the Attorney General’s investigation, they could not be considered defamatory. On March 22, 2016, U.S. District Judge William J. Martini agreed with Pryor Cashman’s arguments and dismissed the claims against TMZ.
Litigation Partners Tom J. Ferber and Eric Fishman, along with Associate Vanessa Costantini, represented TMZ.
To read a copy of the decision, please click here.
