Chicago Business Litigation Lawyer Blog
Celebrities often have to deal with false reports about their personal and professional lives. It’s a known hazard of the job and each celebrity deals with it in their own way.
It’s rare that a celebrity will go so far as to file a defamation lawsuit against someone for making false statements because they’re very difficult to prove. The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution grants us the right to free speech and courts have constantly had to balance that right with the right of individuals to protect their careers and reputations in the event someone makes defamatory statements about them.
One of the ways the courts strikes this balance is by requiring public figures to bear a higher burden of proof when filing defamation lawsuits. The law is based on the idea that free and open discussion of public figures is in the best interests of the public, and should therefore be encouraged. As a result, the law requires public figures to be able to prove the person or entity knew the statements were false at the time they were made, and that the defamatory statements had a significant negative impact on their career. Continue reading ›