'Shark Tank' star Kevin O'Leary sued over China claims
8216shark tank8217 star kevin O'Leary is being sued for defamation after claiming on Fox News that Utah data center opponents have ties to China. Alliance for a Better Utah and others filed in federal court alleging reputational harm. Fox News and O'Leary later walked back the claims.
Key Takeaways
- Kevin O'Leary and Fox News were sued for defamation in Utah federal court over China-tie claims about data center critics.
- Plaintiffs include Alliance for a Better Utah, Elevate Strategies, Gabrielle Finlayson and Josh Kanter.
- The suit says Fox aired O'Leary's attacks five times in three weeks.
- Fox News said it corrected the record and will vigorously defend the case.
- O'Leary later stated he has no evidence the named critics are funded by China.
The Variety report, citing The Hill, says the dispute grew from O'Leary's planned Utah data center project and his on-air comments about people fighting that construction. Viewers who follow celebrity TV fallout can also browse more Streaming & TV Alerts coverage.
Who sued Kevin O'Leary and why?
Alliance for a Better Utah, Elevate Strategies, Gabrielle Finlayson and Josh Kanter filed the suit on Wednesday in Utah federal district court. Fox News was also named as a defendant.
According to the complaint, Kanter and Finlayson "suffered devastating reputational harm, significant economic losses, severe emotional distress, and ongoing threats to their physical safety" after O'Leary went "on the attack" during his Fox News appearance.
Plaintiffs argue the China-tie accusation was false and damaging, especially given how widely it was broadcast.
What did O'Leary say on Fox News?
O'Leary appeared on Fox News and claimed some individuals involved with opposition to the Utah data center have ties to China. The lawsuit alleges Fox was "instrumental" in amplifying those remarks.
"Fox was instrumental in O'Leary's defamatory smear campaign, putting him on air to attack Plaintiffs five times in three weeks," the suit said. It also argued Fox let him "broadcast his false accusations to millions of viewers without any qualification."
How have Fox News and O'Leary responded?
Fox News Media said it "publicly corrected the record on every program where on-air guest Kevin O'Leary's comments were made, all of which was extensively publicized," and vowed to "vigorously defend against this lawsuit."
In late June, Fox issued an apology statement noting O'Leary's May 24 appearance and saying he had corrected the record, explaining he has "no evidence" that Alliance for a Better Utah, Josh Kantor or Taylor Knuth are funded by China or the Chinese Communist Party.
O'Leary posted his own clarification, saying he has "no evidence" that Alliance for a Better Utah, Elevate Strategies, Gabrielle Finlayson, Taylor Knuth or Josh Kanter are funded by China or the Chinese Communist Party. Representatives for O'Leary did not immediately respond to Variety's request for comment.
The case puts a high-profile "Shark Tank" personality at the center of a free-speech and reputation fight that began as a local infrastructure dispute and spilled onto national cable news.