Tina Glandian, attorney for actor Jussie Smollett, speaks at his sentencing hearing Thursday, March 10, 2022 at the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago. Photo: Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/AP'White Face' Comments by Jussie Smollett's Attorney Weren't Defamation, Judge Rules
"At the time of the Today Show interview, Glandian was not aware of any information that would have led her to believe that her statements regarding the white makeup were false or were likely to be false," the judge said.
December 23, 2024 at 05:46 PM
5 minute read
Statements that actor Jussie Smollett's attorneys made on the Today Show regarding men who were falsely accused of attacking the actor did not constitute defamation, a federal judge has ruled.
In a Dec. 20 opinion, U.S. District Judge Mary M. Rowland for the Northern District of Illinois granted attorney Tina Glandian's summary judgment motion after concluding the plaintiffs failed to show she acted with actual malice when she made statements about them allegedly doing "white face" in an interview with journalist Savannah Gunthrie. According to the court, Glandian, a partner at Geragos & Geragos didn't make the statements knowing they were false.
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