Copyright Law

Perez Hilton Sues Fellow Gossip-Blogger For Defamation Over Alleged Sex Tapes

By David Ardia

Earlier this week, Perez Hilton sued fellow gossip-blogger Jonathan Jaxson for libel, slander, invasion of privacy, harassment, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Jaxson, the former publicist for the Backstreet Boys whose real name is Jonathan Wayne Lewandowski, operates a blog called JJ's Dirt that feeds the public's apparently unlimited hunger for celebrity gossip.

The complaint, which Hilton filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleges that Jaxson slandered him by stating that Hilton had solicited sexual favors from Jaxson in exchange for help promoting Jaxson?s website. The complaint specifically refers to a February 28 article in the New York Post in which Jaxson stated 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."

Hilton also claims that statements Jaxson made to ABC News, Popcrunch.com, and HollywoodCrap.com, were defamatory. According to ABC News.com and allegations in Hilton's complaint:

Jaxson sent ABCNEWS.com copies of several instant message conversations he claims he had online with Lavandeira. The conversations appear to show Lavandeira requesting sex videos from Jaxson, apparently coaching him on who to send the tapes to and also contains several nude shots of Jaxson. ABCNEWS.com has not been able to independently verify the authenticity of the instant message conversations. . . .

"[Lavandeira] was using me as his personal porn service," said Jaxson, who admitted to sending several sex tapes and photographs featuring himself to Lavandeira on the condition that he would alert him to breaking celebrity news. "I felt manipulated."

Hilton states in his complaint that there was no agreement to exchange sex for his helping publicize Jaxson's blog.

Adding to the emotional nature of the dispute, Jaxson published Hilton's personal phone number on his blog earlier this week and told his readers that Perez "has hurt me and millions of others, because of this I think you should call him and let him know how you feel."

Interestingly, Hilton hasn't sued any of the media outlets that published Jaxson's statements (probably because he knows they have a cadre of media lawyers who will fight this suit with much more gusto than Jaxson will muster).

You can follow further developments in the case in our Legal Threats Database: Perez Hilton v. Jonathan Jaxson.

Full post as published by Citizen Media Law Project on April 10, 2008 (boomark / email).