New York Times ordered to pay $9.25M in defamation lawsuit

defamation lawsuit The New York Times Kai Spears Alabama jury media law

An Alabama jury has ordered The New York Times to pay $9.25 million in damages to Kai Spears, a former University of Alabama basketball player, following a defamation and false light/invasion of privacy lawsuit.

The verdict follows a nine-day federal trial in Tuscaloosa concerning a March 2023 report by sportswriter Billy Witz. The article, which relied on a single anonymous source, incorrectly identified Spears as a passenger in a vehicle involved in a fatal January 2023 shooting that killed Jamea Harris.

While The New York Times issued an editor's note correcting the error in June 2023, the publication did not fully retract or change the story until after Spears filed his lawsuit. The jury's decision includes $750,000 for defamation and $8.5 million for false light/invasion of privacy, comprising $1 million in compensatory and $7.5 million in punitive damages.

This marks the first time in over 50 years that The New York Times has lost a defamation lawsuit in the United States. A spokesperson for the newspaper stated they are disappointed by the verdict, characterizing the reporting as an ‘honest mistake,’ and noted that the company is reviewing its legal options.

Entities

Alabama · Billy Witz · Kai Spears · New York Times · The New York Times · Tuscaloosa · University of Alabama

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 17 SOURCES] The New York Times incorrectly reported that Kai Spears was in a car at the scene of a fatal shooting in Tuscaloosa. dnyuz.com · www.winnipegfreepress.com · wtop.com · www.spacemoney.com.br · vinnews.com · +12 more
[● 10 SOURCES] The New York Times is reviewing its legal options following the verdict. dnyuz.com · www.winnipegfreepress.com · wtop.com · vinnews.com · executivedigest.sapo.pt · +5 more
[● 22 SOURCES] An Alabama jury awarded $9.25 million in damages to Kai Spears. dnyuz.com · www.winnipegfreepress.com · wtop.com · www.spacemoney.com.br · vinnews.com · +17 more
[● 14 SOURCES] This is the first time in over 50 years that The New York Times has lost a defamation lawsuit in the United States. wtop.com · www.spacemoney.com.br · vinnews.com · executivedigest.sapo.pt · www.independent.co.uk · +9 more
[● 9 SOURCES] Kai Spears sued for defamation, false light, and invasion of privacy. www.spacemoney.com.br · vinnews.com · dnyuz.com · executivedigest.sapo.pt · www.winnipegfreepress.com · +4 more
[● 10 SOURCES] The New York Times issued an editor's note correcting the report after the original publication. vinnews.com · dnyuz.com · executivedigest.sapo.pt · www.winnipegfreepress.com · wtop.com · +5 more
[● 13 SOURCES] The New York Times used an anonymous source to report that Kai Spears was a passenger in a car involved in a shooting. www.spacemoney.com.br · vinnews.com · dnyuz.com · executivedigest.sapo.pt · www.winnipegfreepress.com · +8 more