Kenny Chesney cleared of liability in impersonator scam lawsuit

A California appeals court has upheld a decision to dismiss a lawsuit against country music star Kenny Chesney, ruling that he bears no legal responsibility for a scam perpetrated by an impersonator.

The lawsuit was filed by Patricia Linson, who claimed she was defrauded of approximately $310,000 after being contacted via LinkedIn by an individual posing as Chesney. The imposter allegedly used non-public information regarding future concert dates and releases to gain her trust, claiming the funds were needed for music videos and instrument repairs.

Linson argued that Chesney was negligent and had a duty to warn fans about such third-party scams. However, the court ruled that legal precedent does not require celebrities to protect fans from impersonators. The court noted that requiring artists to post constant warnings against third-party scams on social media would stretch “common sense and sound public policy.”

In addition to dismissing the claims, the court ordered Linson to pay Chesney’s legal expenses incurred during the appeal process.