Phoebe Bridgers Defamation Lawsuit Dismissed
Final September, Phoebe Bridgers was sued for defamation by a producer named Chris Nelson. Nelson, who owns a recording studio referred to as Sound Area in Los Angeles, claimed that Bridgers used her public platform on Instagram to publish false and defamatory statements about Nelson “with the intention to destroy his repute,” because the grievance learn. Now, a Los Angeles Superior Courtroom decide has dismissed the lawsuit, MyNewsLA stories and Pitchfork can verify.
In response to court docket paperwork considered by Pitchfork, Choose Curtis A. Kin granted Bridgers’ anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit In opposition to Public Participation) movement, which she initially filed in February. California’s anti-SLAPP statute is supposed to stop folks from utilizing courts and potential lawsuits to intimidate these exercising their proper to free-speech.
“We really feel vindicated that the Courtroom acknowledged this lawsuit as frivolous and with out benefit,” a spokesperson for Phoebe Bridgers wrote in a press release to Pitchfork. “It was not grounded in regulation, or info, however was filed with the only real intention of inflicting hurt to our shopper’s repute and profession. This victory is necessary not only for our shopper however for all these she was in search of to guard by utilizing her platform.”
Within the authentic lawsuit (obtained by Pitchfork), Nelson said that, “in or round 2018, [he] and his girlfriend on the time… started having consensual sexual encounters with [Phoebe] Bridgers.” Nelson and his girlfriend broke up “in or across the fall of 2019,” in response to the lawsuit, however Nelson says that Bridgers and the lady “continued their relationship.” A 12 months later, Bridgers made “false and deceptive statements about [Nelson],” in response to the grievance.
Nelson sought $3.8 million in damages for alleged defamation, false gentle, intentional infliction of emotional misery, intentional interference with potential financial relations, and negligent interference with potential financial relations.
On February 14 of this 12 months, Bridgers responded to Nelson’s lawsuit in court docket. “I imagine that the statements I made in my Instagram story are true,” she wrote in a declaration in assist of the movement to strike. “My statements had been made based mostly on my private data, together with statements I personally heard Mr. Nelson make, in addition to my very own observations. I proceed to imagine the statements that I made had been true.” (Bridgers had written that she witnessed and will confirm “a lot of the abuse (grooming, stealing, violence) perpetuated by Chris Nelson, proprietor of a studio referred to as Sound Area….” on her Instagram account.)
It was in the course of the February 14 court docket look that Bridgers filed the movement invoking the anti-SLAPP statute. In response to MyNewsLA, Choose Kin heard arguments on Bridgers’ dismissal movement on August 11, stating on the time that he was leaning towards tossing Nelson’s case.
Pitchfork has reached out to attorneys for Chris Nelson.