Summary: Even though some claims against celebrities may seem minor, making false claims of any extent can result in big financial awards for celebrities that sue.
Defamation: the action of damaging the good reputation of an individual, product, business, group, nation, government, or religion through false statements or claims. Common law dictates that to be defamation, the false claim must be made to someone other than the person being defamed. In some civil law jurisdictions, defamation is in the same category as a crime. Many celebrities would probably like to see harsher punishments against those that make false claims about their reputations, especially considering many of those accused are repeat offenders.
Here are ten celebrities that won big in their defamation lawsuits:
Keira Knightley – The Daily Mail claimed that Knightley was suffering from an eating disorder and was responsible for the death of a young woman with anorexia. She sued them and was awarded several thousand dollars, of which she then gave to a charity.
Sharon Stone – Plastic surgeon Renato Calabria told two U.S. magazines that the actress received a facelift. She alleged that the accusations were false and a made it difficult for her to find work. She was able to sue the surgeon and was awarded unknown damages.
Cameron Diaz – The British Sun newspaper claimed that the actress had an affair with her friend Shane Nickerson. At the time the newspaper published the article, Diaz and Nickerson were in separate relationships. The claim was based on a photo that was barely recognized but ended up damaging their relationships. She sued and was awarded an unknown amount.
Kate Winslet – Daily Mail claimed that Winslet was lying about her exercise routine. They included photos of the naked actress in their article. They also called her “the world’s most irritating actress.” While she was not able to do anything about their critiques of her acting abilities, she was able to sue them for libel for their dishonesty. She was awarded 25,000 British pounds by London’s High Court.
Rebel Wilson – Wilson sued Bauer Media in June 2017 after they published eight articles in Australian Women’s Weekly, Woman’s Weekly, NW, and OK Magazine alleging that she made up her entire life story to make a future in Hollywood more possible. She was awarded $4.5 million Australian dollars.
Robin Williams – The actor had a celebrity look-alike who used their similar appearance to cheat people. Williams sued Michael Clayton and his agent, who helped Clayton. Clayton was stealing from charities under Williams name and causing damage to his reputation.
Kate Hudson – The National Enquirer UK ran a story in 2006 with a photograph of Hudson, calling her too thin. They titled the article “Goldie Tells Kate: Eat Something! And She Listens! Star confronts daughter after photographs show her painfully thin.” She sued them for libel and was awarded an apology from the magazine and an undisclosed amount in damages.
Tom Cruise – In 2003, Cruise sued Chad Slater, a former “erotic wrestler” for claiming he had an affair with Cruise. Around that time, Cruise’s marriage with Nicole Kidman failed. Slater later admitted that he made up the claim. Cruise was awarded $10 million.
J.K. Rowling – In 2014, the Daily Mail claimed the author was lying about a story she told about being stigmatized by churchgoers. She sued them for libel. The newspaper was required to issue an apology and give her “substantial damages.”
Jessie Ventura – Ventura claimed he had been defamed by Chris Kyle, a former Navy SEAL member, in his best-selling book “American Sniper.” While Ventura was not named in the book, he was alluded to in a chapter titled “Punching Out Scruff Face.” He said passages about him were false. Ventura was willing to accept an apology from Kyle but ultimately sued and won $1.8 million.
Do you think magazines and newspaper should be held to a higher standard to ensure the claims they make are true? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
To learn more about other celebrity defamation lawsuits, read these articles:
- Sarah Palin’s Defamation Lawsuit against The New York Times Dismissed
- Judge Tells Richard Simmons That Being Called Transgender Is Not Defamation
- Rebel Wilson Wins Millions in Defamation Lawsuit against Australian Magazine Publisher
Knightley Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
Diaz Photo: commons.wikimedia.org