Elon Musk, the owner of X (formerly known as Twitter), is facing a lawsuit for libel filed by recent college graduate, Ben Brody. The lawsuit alleges that Musk falsely accused Brody of being associated with a neo-Nazi group.
Brody claims that Musk amplified posts on X that falsely identified him as a participant in a brawl between two right-wing extremist groups during a Pride event in Portland, Oregon. The incident gained viral attention after video footage of the brawl was widely shared. Influencers on right-wing social media platforms started accusing Brody of being one of the unmasked individuals involved.
Musk took to Twitter and posed the question, “Who were the unmasked individuals?” prompting a user to accuse Brody of participation. In an effort to prove his innocence, Brody presented evidence including an Instagram video and debit card receipts that showed he was in California at the time of the brawl. Despite numerous X users reassuring Musk that Brody was not the person in the video, Musk refused to retract his accusations.
Brody claims that Musk’s tweets caused him to experience panic, fear, depression, difficulty sleeping, panic attacks, headaches, and fatigue. As a result, he is seeking damages of at least $1 million, a jury trial, and a judgment to clear his name.
The lawsuit, filed in the district court of Travis County, Texas, accuses Musk of repeatedly making false statements that have had detrimental effects on innocent parties. The case highlights the potential consequences of misinformation being spread on social media platforms and the responsibility individuals bear for the consequences of their statements.
For now, the outcome of the lawsuit remains uncertain as the court proceedings begin. The Puck Drop will continue to monitor the developments and provide updates on this case.
