"Sh**ty Media Men" List Creator Unable to Escape Libel Suithttps://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/shitty-media-men-list-creator-unable-escape-libel-suit-1301238In a decision with potentially large ramifications, New York federal judge LaShann DeArcy Hall won't dismiss a libel suit against "Shitty Media Men" creator Moira Donegan.
The complaint comes from Stephen Elliott, a widely published author and director of About Cherry and Happy Baby who was upset about his inclusion in a spreadsheet that circulated in the wake of allegations against Harvey Weinstein. That spreadsheet — called "Shitty Media Men" — allowed women to anonymously contribute stories of being victims of sexual misconduct. Elliott had an entry. He allegedly was someone facing "rape accusations, sexual harassment, [and] coercion."
Elliott claims Donegan and various anonymous women defamed him, and the starting point for this case was the question of whether Elliott was a public figure who would have to show actual malice.
Without commenting on the merits of the case ... IMO, the "public figure" defense in a slander/libel suit needs to be reworked or scrapped. In general, I think slanderers and false accusers need to suffer the same consequences the falsely accused would have faced, if it's a criminal case. And if a civil case, the slanderer needs to receive consequences proportional to the damage done.
