Defamation
Univision Defamation Suit Dismissed Under Florida’s Anti-SLAPP Statute
Podhurst Orseck represented Univision Communications, Inc., Univision Interactive Media, Inc., The Univision Network Limited Partnership, and journalist Gerardo Reyes in a defamation lawsuit brought by Carlos Enrique Luna Lam and Iglesia Cristiana Casa de Dios. The plaintiffs alleged that a series of Univision’s investigative news reports defamed them and their Guatemalan mega-church. Podhurst successfully defended Univision at the motion to dismiss stage, with the court applying Florida’s Anti-SLAPP statute to dispose of the case at an early phase of litigation.
This was one of the first cases in Florida to dismiss a defamation action under the state’s Anti-SLAPP protections at the pleading stage, rather than waiting for summary judgment. The decision reinforced the importance of the “actual malice” standard for journalists and underscored strong protections for media defendants facing meritless lawsuits intended to chill investigative reporting.