Judge Tosses Playboy Model Karen McDougal’s Defamation Lawsuit Against Fox News

Topline

A New York federal judge tossed out former Playboy model and President Trump hush money recipient Karen McDougal’s defamation lawsuit against Fox News—and specifically comments made by network host Tucker Carlson—because the judge ruled Carlson’s claims that McDougal extorted Trump were opinion, and not “statements of fact.”

Key Facts

Crucial Quote

“This ‘general tenor’ of the show should then inform a viewer that [Carlson] is not ‘stating actual facts’ about the topics he discusses and is instead engaging in ‘exaggeration’ and ‘non-literal commentary,’” the judge wrote in the decision.

Key Background

McDougal sued Carlson for defamation in December 2019 for statements he made about her on an episode of his Fox News show taped in 2018. That episode focused on the hush-money payments that McDougal and adult film star Stormy Daniels received from Trump as part of a “catch and kill” scheme by the National Enquirer to keep their dalliances with the then-presidential candidate quiet. During the segment, Carlson said, “Two women [one of which was McDougal] approached Donald Trump and threatened to ruin his career and humiliate his family if he doesn’t give them money. Now that sounds like a classic case of extortion.” Those comments (among others) made up the substance of McDougal’s lawsuit. 

Further Reading

Fox, NBC, CNN All Hit With High-Profile Lawsuits (Forbes)

Trump Suit Against New York Times ‘Completely Inappropriate,’ Media Law Expert Says (Forbes)