As published in CSQ on April 5th, 2025. Court Upholds Major Defamation Ruling in Favor of Mega Producer Ryan Kavanaugh Against Podcaster Ethan Klein - Is This Just the Beginning? Landmark decision marks a turning point in the battle against online defamation.
LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESS Newswire / April 6, 2025 / Today Kavanaugh's legal team is celebrating a landmark win. As published in CSQ Magazine.
In a dramatic turn of events that could shake the foundations of influencer culture, controversial YouTuber Ethan Klein-best known for his H3H3 podcast empire and often referred to as professional Troll-has suffered a major legal defeat in a defamation case brought by film producer Ryan Kavanaugh. The California Court of Appeal has affirmed a previous court ruling, dismissing Klein's appeal and holding him and his company legally accountable for knowingly spreading false, harmful narratives against Kavanaugh.
Klein, often self-described as a provocateur and satirist, has long come under fire for using his platform-followed by millions, many of whom are minors-to target individuals with relentless smear campaigns. But in the case of Ryan Kavanaugh, Klein may have gone too far.
According to court documents and extensive digital evidence, Klein launched a coordinated effort to tarnish Kavanaugh's reputation after being accused of illegally streaming a pay-per-view boxing match produced by a company Kavanaugh was affiliated with. Rather than respond with legal clarity, Klein retaliated publicly-weaponizing his fanbase and social channels to paint Kavanaugh as a villain in hundreds of podcast episodes and clips, many of which were riddled with falsehoods and personal attacks.
Worse, Klein reportedly encouraged his audience, many of whom are estimated to be under the age of 15, to manipulate search engine results and vandalize Kavanaugh's Wikipedia page. The strategy? Use Reddit and other forums to circulate defamatory clips and articles, then boost them with engagement to ensure they dominate search algorithms. Kavanaugh's legal team described it as "digital mob warfare" led by a self-proclaimed influencer who knows how to exploit social platforms-and young followers-for personal vendettas.
Klein publicly claimed victory in the lawsuit and misled his audience about the outcome. In reality, the courts not only rejected his anti-SLAPP motion-designed to dismiss frivolous suits-but also cleared the way for Kavanaugh to pursue what could amount to more than tens of millions in damages. This ruling significantly bolsters Kavanaugh's claim that Klein acted with actual malice and deliberate intent to defame.
Beyond the legal ramifications, the case casts a harsh light on Klein's broader pattern of behavior: recruiting an army of online followers-many too young to discern fact from fiction-to do his dirty work. Multiple individuals over the years have reported harassment, doxing, and threats after becoming targets on the H3H3 podcast. This included Klein engaging people specifically to "vandalize" Kavanaugh's Wikipedia page and have his followers send "hundreds of death threats to Kavanaugh and his family including his ex-wife and kids".
This time, however, the consequences have gone beyond YouTube comments and trending hashtags-they've entered the courtroom. The last major similar media case involved Gawker and Hulk Hogan who was awarded $140 Million dollars
LINK HERE https://www.wsj.com/articles/gawker-hulk-hogan-settlement-wins-court-approval-1481664760
Ryan Kavanaugh's lawyer, Amy McCann Roller of Meier Watkins Phillips Pusch
"This is an important case about the growth of online and professional trolling, which required a real analysis of when free speech is no longer a harmless opinion.
In this case, Ethan Klein used his large fan base to recklessly and knowingly spread malicious lies about my client Ryan Kavanaugh, harming him immeasurably. Klein has tried, unsuccessfully, to dodge responsibility at every turn. But Mr. Kavanaugh is willing to take this all the way, to set the record straight and hold Klein accountable for spreading malicious lies. The appellate court's decision sends a powerful message to those who think the California anti-SLAPP creates a zone where people can lie and hurt others with impunity.
Hopefully this ruling can help others who are being wrongfully targeted and whose lives are being upended by those who act irresponsibly without regard for the harm they cause to others."
And now, with the court firmly siding against Klein, a chilling question emerges: Does this pave the way for the others he's targeted to finally step forward and seek justice? Given how many others have come public with horror stories of how Klein has intentionally targeted them in a similar manner it won't be surprising to see similar cases in the near future.
Contact:
Amy Roller
media@whitehat.digital
SOURCE: GenTV
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire
