If you’re in the habit of typing out untrue things about people on Twitter and other similar sites, you might want to listen up: actor James Woods is filing suit against @AbeListed, a Twitter user who called him a “Cocaine Addict” on the site, according to THR. The amount attached to the suit? A potentially existence denting figure of $10 million.
Here’s a bit from Woods’ legal team by way of the complaint.
“This action arises from the publication of a malicious and fabricated statement by a cowardly individual who hides behind the Twitter name “Abe List” (“AL”) to falsely accuse and humiliate others who dare to harbor opinion different from his own. On July 15, 2015 AL stepped over the line by falsely accusing actor James Woods of being a “cocaine addict” on the social media site Twitter, a message sent to thousands of AL’s followers and hundreds of thousands of Mr. Woods’ followers. In fact, Woods is not now, nor has he ever been, a cocaine addict, and AL had no reason to believe otherwise.”
Woods is pursuing AL for defamation and invasion of privacy by light. Here’s a look at California’s defamation law, so as to fuel your epic hot take on this matter with the rocket fuel of information. Does Woods have a case? I don’t know, I only got that link, I didn’t read California’s defamation law. But in all seriousness, if Woods wins, it’s conceivable to think that the floodgates might open for similar cases, cause people be tripping on social media. For real.
Anyway, if you aren’t a jerk on Twitter, this probably doesn’t affect you in any way except for it being that thing you read about the internet and that guy from that Michael J. Fox movie where he was a cop or something. But if you are a jerk on Twitter, maybe don’t be and you won’t get sued as much.
(Via The Hollywood Reporter)