Legal News

You Said That About Me? Celebrity Gossip Blogger Sues for Slander

By Dan Slater

Sean and Robin back together! Toni Braxton hospitalized! Joan Jett keeps sexual orientation a mystery! Katie Holmes gets a new haircut!

What with Gitmo, Yoo and The Donald, it’s been a rather heavy Wednesday at LB Headquarters. So, as we turn the corner on the work week, let’s end the day in the gossip-blog realm: Perez Hilton (pictured) yesterday filed a lawsuit against a fellow celebrity gossip blogger for libel, slander, invasion of privacy and harassment. OMG!

The complaint, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleges that Jonathan Wayne Lewandowski, a/k/a/ Jonathan Jaxson, a Florida blogger, slandered Hilton, whose real name is Mario Lavandeira, by claiming Hilton solicited sexual favors from Jaxson in exchange for help promoting Jaxson’s nascent web site, entitled J&J’s Dirt.

The suit refers to February 28 article in the NY Post’s Page Six, in which Jaxson — a former publicist for the Backstreet Boys — told the Post that Hilton encouraged him to send sex tapes of himself. “He would tell me he would give me stories for my blog,” Jaxson told the Post. “He used me.” Also contributing to Hilton’s unhappiness: Jaxson published Hilton’s cell-phone number on his blog.

For those LB’ers unfamiliar with the Hilton brand, the lawsuit describes it thusly: “[Hilton] is a world-renowned Internet celebrity gossip ‘blogger’ . . . . Celebrities are the focus of his blog, and when the sometimes newsworthy events of their lives unfold, the content of his site transforms gossip into journalism.”

Hilton claims he’s “suffered loss of his reputation, shame and mortification” and “mental anguish.” The suit doesn’t specify monetary damages, but seeks general, special, and punitive damages, and legal fees. Jaxson told the Smoking Gun that, while he’d yet to see the complaint, he found it “hilarious” that Hilton was suing him. “I have not lied about him. What Perez did to me was hurtful.”

In other Perez Hilton news, the Journal reported today that, beginning next month, Hilton, whose blog reportedly gets 2.8 million visitors per month, will have his own twice-daily radio show. The radio show, according to this WSJ report, is part of a strategy that includes more television appearances; the release this summer of a feature movie, “Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild,” in which Hilton stars as himself; a coming book; and a possible development deal with Warner Bros. Records.

Meanwhile, loyal LB readers might recall this piece by LB alum Peter Lattman about gossip sites and pubs firing back at celebrities and their lawyers who sue them.

Full post as published by Law Blog - WSJ.com on April 09, 2008 (boomark / email).