Elon Musk says he was just being hyperbolic when he called a Thai cave diver 'pedo guy'
Remember when Tesla CEO Elon Musk repeatedly accused a diver of being a pedophile with absolutely no evidence? He's now looking to dismiss a defamation lawsuit, arguing he was only joking.
Musk is being sued by Vern Unsworth, one of the divers who helped rescue the Thai soccer players who were trapped in a cave over the summer. Musk on Twitter had baselessly attacked Unsworth as being a pedophile, referring to him as a "pedo guy." He did so after Unsworth called Musk's talk of rescuing the boys using a submarine a "PR stunt."
In new court filings, Musk's lawyers argue that no "reasonable reader" would take Musk's "over-the-top insults" as fact or evidence that he had "private knowledge" about Unsworth, especially because the two were in the middle of a "schoolyard spat" on a "social networking website infamous for invective and hyperbole," BuzzFeed's Ryan Mac reports. The lawyers conclude Musk's "imaginative attacks" reflect his personal opinion and are thus subject to First Amendment protections.
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Musk had also made his accusations against Unsworth outside of Twitter, claiming in an interview with BuzzFeed that he is a "child rapist." He added, "I f---ing hope he sues me."
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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
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