Personal Injury Law

Courtney Love Faces Libel Lawsuit for Controversial Tweets

By guest-writer

Courtney Love, perhaps more famous for her colorful lifestyle than her musical career, has added another entertaining chapter to her life in the public eye.

According to sources, fashion designer Dawn Simorangkir recently filed a personal injury lawsuit against Love after the gregarious rocker delivered a series of allegedly false statements over Twitter in March 2009.

Earlier that year, Simorangkir had designed clothes specifically for Love. Later, Simorangkir alleged that Love failed to pay for the outfits. Love disagreed, claiming that she had already paid Simorangkir $40,000.

On her Twitter feed, Love then accused Simorangkir of being a drug pusher and a prostitute, among other unsavory allegations. All told, the fashion designer’s lawyer alleges that Love made at least 40 negative tweets about Simorangkir.

In her libel lawsuit, the embattled designer claims that Love’s comments were false and have ruined her career.

This dispute represents the first high-profile defamation trial in response to a celebrity’s online remarks on Twitter, so it could have lasting repercussions for similar lawsuits in the future.

Thus far, the question of liability for derogatory comments made on Twitter has yet to be decided. Simorangkir’s attorney claims that Love’s online audience of more than 40,000 Twitter followers means that her allegedly false comments had an unusually widespread impact on the designer’s reputation.

On the other hand, Love’s lawyer admits that her comments were “colorful,” but he claims that they were not defamatory. In addition, some defenders of Love have said that the burden of proof for defamation should be higher when allegedly harmful comments are made in the casual atmosphere of social media websites like Twitter.

In addition, Love’s attorney claims that Simorangkir’s business has remained healthy, perhaps owing to the Hollywood truism that there is no such thing as bad publicity. Simorangkir has, at the very least, derived plenty of attention from Love’s ill-advised Twitter antics.

Of course, you don’t have to be the victim of an unhinged celebrity to file a libel lawsuit. If someone has damaged your reputation by making false statements about you, you may be able to file a defamation lawsuit.

In a defamation case, the plaintiff bears the burden of proof. This requires showing that the other party made false statements that damaged the plaintiff’s reputation. If proof of defamation is adequately made, the plaintiff may be eligible for compensatory and, in some cases, punitive damages.

Laws dealing with libel and defamation, however, vary widely by state. In addition, the statute of limitations for libel claims also varies by state law.

If you feel your reputation has been harmed by someone’s false claims, contact a local injury lawyer in your area today to learn more about your legal rights and options.

Full post as published by The Injury Blog on January 10, 2011 (boomark / email).