In an explosive turn of the events, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, Spacex and owner of X (formerly Twitter), has officially filed a demand for defamation against Joy Behar and the American programThe View, demanding 70 million dollars for damages.
The lawsuit, filed this morning before a federal court in California, accuses Behar and the production of the program of issuing “slanderous and deliberately misleading statements” on Musk, causing, according to his lawyers, irreparable damage to his personal and professional reputation.
A case that is already generating controversy
The facts date back to a segment issued last week, during which Joy Behar would have made comments “false, malicious and without foundation” about Elon Musk. Among other things, he accused him of “using his companies to manipulate public opinion” and “foster misinformation in social networks for political purposes.” Musk’s lawyers qualify these statements as “blatant lies” released during the maximum hearing, amplified by social networks and replicated by numerous media.
“Mr. Musk is a controversial public figure, yes, but that does not entitle anyone to disseminate false accusations with the intention of damaging their image,” says the demand of 28 pages. “The statements of Mrs. Behar were made with malice, without evidence and with the clear intention of harming our client.”
A symbolic figure or a strategy?
The amount claimed – 70 million dollars – has drawn attention for its magnitude, even in the American legal system. However, the legal representatives of Musk argue that it reflects “the real and potential economic impact” of the defamatory statements, including the possible influence on the value of the actions of Tesla and in the investment agreements for projects such as Spacex and Neuralink.
“It’s not just about ego. This is media responsibility,” said Musk’s main lawyer Mark Lansdale. “The time in which a public figure could be defamed without consequences must end.”
Immediate reactions
The ABC chain, which transmitsThe View, has not yet issued an official statement on the case. Joy Behar, on the other hand, briefly reacted to X (formerly Twitter): “I said what I thought. If Mr. Musk doesn’t like criticism, maybe he is in the wrong business.”
This response further turned on the controversy. Musk’s followers on social networks called the boycot of the program, while others defended freedom of expression and accused Musk of wanting to silence their critics with economic power.
This conflict adds to the growing tension between Elon Musk and the media, especially since its acquisition of Twitter, its political positions and its frequent controversial statements.
A very media legal battle is coming
Legal experts anticipate a long and media process. “Dead cases involving public figures are always complicated,” said Sarah McConnell, a law professor at Stanford University. “Musk must demonstrate that the statements were false and that they were made with malice, which is a high legal standard.”
Whatever the outcome, the case promises to capture public attention in the coming weeks. With two well -known protagonists –Musk andThe View-, this judgment could become a media show and mark a precedent in the relationship between technological and traditional media.
