Influencer's Nondefamatory Service Review Could Be Aiding and Abetting of Defamatory Comments
A recent court case examined whether an influencer's comments could be considered aiding and abetting defamation. The court found that while the influencer's statements were not defamatory themselves, they encouraged followers to post false reviews about a business. Ultimately, the claim was dismissed due to the statute of limitations, despite the court's acknowledgment of the influencer's potential influence on the defamatory comments.
- ▪The court ruled that the influencer's statements were not defamatory as they were not substantially false.
- ▪The plaintiff claimed the influencer encouraged followers to post false negative reviews.
- ▪The aiding and abetting claim was not dismissed but was ultimately barred by the statute of limitations.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Free Speech Influencer's Nondefamatory Service Review Could Be Aiding and Abetting of Defamatory Comments Eugene Volokh | 6.3.2026 9:08 AM From Auto Junction Inc v. Kaluzhin, 2024 WL 7050639, decided Oct. 8, 2024 by Arizona Superior Court (Maricopa County) Judge Melissa Iyer Julian, but just posted on Westlaw several days ago—I'm skeptical about the aiding and abetting analysis, but wanted to flag the case in any event: In this case, the only alleged defamatory statements Defendant made were included in his YouTube video where he stated that Auto Junction "don't give me my money," "they don't give me my bucks." As Defendant's reply brief points out, these statements are not defamatory because they are not substantially false.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Reason Magazine.
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