Jesse Ventura’s $1.8 Million Lawsuit Thrown Out by Judge

 Back in 2014, WWE hall of famer and former Governor of Minnesota, Jesse “The Body” Ventura, was awarded $1.8 million in a defamation lawsuit against “American Sniper” and former Navy SEAL, Chris Kyle. However, according to CBS News, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected the jury’s verdict, and has thrown out this case.

Ventura initially presented the lawsuit because of a story that was told in Kyle’s book, “American Sniper.” In the book, Kyle claims to have punched out a man, who was later identified as Ventura, at a California bar in 2006. Kyle wrote that Ventura had made offensive comments about the SEALS, which included that they “deserve to lose a few” in Iraq.

A former Underwater Demolition Teams & SEAL member, Ventura testified at the trial that these claims were false and that he never made those comments. Furthermore, he claimed that these accusations ruined his reputation in the SEAL community.

Ventura was awarded $500,000 for defamation and $1.3 million for unjust enrichment against Kyle’s estate. The three-judge panel reversed the unjust enrichment award, saying that it fails as a matter of law. They also vacated the defamation award, but sent that portion of the case back to court for a new trial.

You can find the full article and more details about this story at this link.

Editor’s Note:

While I certainly see both sides of the story, I don’t feel that suing a deceased Navy SEAL, who was responsible for the protection and safety of our country, is a good idea. Simply coming out and saying that the story wasn’t true, without involving the courts would have been a better and more mature course of action, in my opinion. It’s a tricky situation, there’s no doubt, and I’m sure we have not seen the last of this saga.

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