The studio owner, who is suing Phoebe Bridgers with claims she defamed him on social media, can force her to testify about whether she acted with “actual malice,” a judge ruled this week. The decision comes after the singer-songwriter contested the in-person investigation, calling it “nothing more than thinly veiled harassment.”
In ruling in favor of plaintiff Chris Nelson, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Curtis A. Kin said the court cannot rule on Bridgers’ pending motion to commence the defamation lawsuit on free speech grounds until Nelson has an opportunity to questioning her about his allegations, willfully or recklessly made “false and misleading statements” about him in an October 2020 Instagram post.
Nelson claims Bridgers posted the controversial information about him – namely that she saw him engage in “grooming, theft, violence” – because she was involved in a “sexual relationship” with his ex-girlfriend Emily Bannon and “Part of a Vendetta” was destroy [his] Call.”
In her motion to have Nelson’s complaint dismissed, Bridgers argues that the Sound Space recording studio owner cannot meet his burden of showing “actual malice,” meaning he cannot prove that she “made the contested statements with knowledge.” about its falsehood or under entertainment has serious doubts as to its veracity”, so that his complaint is to be dismissed. Bridgers has denied any malice in an affidavit in court, saying she believes and still believes her statements were true.
In his decision granting the petition for deposition, Justice Kin called the “actual malice” test a “subjective test” in which the “crucial question” was Bridger’s “actual belief in the veracity of the publication.”
The judge said Bridgers was “necessarily the primary, if not the sole, source of evidence of actual malice,” adding that the inquest must take place by April 29.
In her 2020 Instagram Story at the center of the lawsuit, Bridgers voiced her support for Bannon when she responded to an Instagram post published by Bannon with the caption, “I stand in solidarity with those making allegations against Chris Nelson “ referred. The Bannon thread accused Nelson of fraud, theft and violence.
“I witnessed and personally attested to much of the abuse (nursing, theft, violence) of Chris Nelson, owner of a studio called Sound Space,” Bridgers’ post reads, which Nelson claims he wrote for 24 hours was live on her Instagram account. “For everyone who knows [Nelson], considering working with him, or want to know more, @emilybannon’s page features an eloquent and stunning report as a highlight. TRIGGER ALERT for virtually anything that triggers.”
Nelson filed his lawsuit against Bridgers on September 28. He previously sued Bannon for defamation in December 2020. In response, Bannon revealed that during their year-long relationship, she lived with Nelson and “began to see certain behaviors that bothered me.” She said the behavior prompted her to end the relationship. Then, in mid-2020, she was “approached or contacted by a variety of people” who also knew Nelson, she claimed. “Several discussions concerned Nelson’s abusive and/or criminal behavior and how similar it was from person to person,” she previously wrote in a affidavit.
Bannon, who is now suing Nelson for breach of contract in connection with an alleged deal, said she posted her Instagram story “so future clients would be notified by him.” Her lawsuit has a tentative hearing date of next year.
In another lawsuit filed in December 2020, Nelson accused former Saturday Night Live actress and singer-songwriter Noël Wells of making “false, defamatory and misleading” comments when she allegedly warned indie rock band Big Thief about it in July to work with him in 2020.
A judge threw out that case after Wells argued she sent her warning email to Big Thief’s manager to “help” the band with their right to hire — or not hire — someone to promote artistic free speech.