Hilary Duff and Wendy Williams are both being accused of libel and slander in a new lawsuit by a man who claims the actress called him a child predator and the talk show host repeated the claim on national television.
via The Blast:
According to court documents, obtained by The Blast, Darryl Wilkins is suing Duff and Williams after the Disney star’s rant about Wilkins on Instagram got picked up on Wendy’s show. The actress had a run-in with the man in a public park and filmed it for Instagram.
In the suit, Wilkins claims in February 2020, he was in a public park and was testing out his new camera. Hilary, who posted the altercation on her Instagram, claims the man was taking pictures of her children and she was not happy about it.
Wilkins claims Hilary Duff and Wendy Williams allegedly posted disparaging comments on social media and circulated comments on various television appearances, re-posting the video confrontation. Wilkins claims slander against the actress for allegedly accusing him of “reprehensible and despicable conduct including by innuendo that he was a child predator.” He’s targeting Wendy Williams for allegedly repeating the defamatory statements on her TV show.
Wilkins goes on in his complaint claiming the alleged words uttered were “false statements because Wilkins is not a pedophile or child predator and was attempting to take photographs as a photographer and not as a paparazzi or stalker or with mal intent or evil wrongdoing.”
Wilkins goes on in his complaint claiming he the alleged words uttered were “false statements because Wilkins is not a pedophile or child predator and was attempting to take photographs as a photographer and not as a paparazzi or stalker or with mal intent or evil wrongdoing.”
Wilkins claims Duff and Williams allegedly accuse him of being a sexual deviant and predator such as to “directly injure him in respect to his profession”. Wilkins says he has suffered general damages to reputation, business, trade, profession, and occupation from Duff and Williams alleged words about him.
Wilkins claims Duff and Williams allegedly knew it was probable that participants in social media, talk show, and news media would republish the alleged statements and altercation, and that the publication was seen and read by persons who reside throughout the United States.
In Hilary Duff’s Instagram post of the alleged altercation, she allegedly makes a statement about exposing Wilkins to millions of her social media followers and says in the caption, “Paparazzi shooting KIDS. Go “practice” your photography on ADULTS! Creep! Laws need to change! This is stalking minors! Disgusting!” Wendy Williams ended up filming and broadcasting a segment about Hilary Duff’s altercation with Wilkins for her popular show.
Hilary Duff and Wendy Williams are facing general, specific, and punitive damages for their alleged malice, oppression, and fraud in that they allegedly knew their words were false and made statements with the intent to allegedly injure Wilkins.
Taking pictures of someone else’s kids could easily be considered predatory behavior. It’ll be interesting to see if this man has a case — but we don’t see it.
