FALLING IN REVERSE frontman Ronnie Radke has officially filed a defamation suit against prominent music critic, Anthony Fantano, also known as The Needle Drop. The suit was filed in a Los Angeles Superior Court on August 20, 2024.
The legal action stems from a video Fantano posted on his YouTube channel in August 2023 titled “This Guy Sucks,” in which he heavily criticized Radke‘s music and personal conduct. Radke took issue with Fantano‘s repetition of past allegations against him, including domestic violence, sexual assault, transphobia, and racism.
Radke had previously threatened to sue Fantano if he did not remove the video, and despite Fantano‘s refusal, Radke followed through on his threat.
Rock Feed recently shared excerpts from Ronnie Radke‘s defamation suit against Anthony Fantano. In the suit, Radke specifically addresses Fantano‘s “This Guy Sucks” video.
“Fantano‘s nearly eight-minute verbal tirade regarding Radke——whom the defendant does not know and has never even met——goes beyond the bounds of permissible commentary and extends into the realm of actionable innuendo, unfounded rumormongering and outright untruth.”
The complaint further asserts that Fantano ignored repeated requests from Radke to remove the video, prompting the lawsuit. It also claims that the video featured images of headlines, press excerpts, past social media disputes, and allegations against Radke, which, when combined with Fantano‘s commentary, were misleading and defamatory.
One specific incident cited in the complaint is an allegation that Fantano equated an alleged physical assault with sexual assault. The complaint also highlights that Fantano omitted mentioning the legal outcomes of these allegations, which had been resolved in Radke‘s favor.
The suit contends that by doing so, “Fantano acted with malice aforethought and/or engaged in fraud, malice, and/or oppression.” Because Fantano allegedly made these statements with common law malice, Radke is also seeking punitive damages in an amount to be determined at trial.
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