VIDEO: British cave explorer Vern Unsworth considers legal action against Elon Musk

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VIDEO: British cave explorer Vern Unsworth considers legal action against Elon Musk

 

Vern Unsworth//File photo

 

British cave explorer Vern Unsworth says he hasn’t ruled out taking legal action against Elon Musk after the tech billionaire called him a pedophile.

 

On Sunday Musk launched an astonishing attack on the Chiang Rai based British cave explorer who is regarded as a by many hero for his role in the rescue of 12 boys and their football coach from the Tham Luang cave in Chiang Rai.

 

Musk’s bizarre attack came after Mr Unsworth said that the “kid sized submarine” Musk had built for the rescue of the boys and which he delivered personally to the cave was impractical, “had no chance of working” and was nothing more than a “PR stunt”.

 

In an interview with CNN which came to light over the weekend, Mr Unsworth told Musk to “stick the submarine where it hurts”.

 

 

"It just had absolutely no chance of working," he said.

 

“He (Elon Musk) had no conception of what the cave passage was like.”

 

On Sunday, Musk fired back with a series of tweets where he said that Mr Unsworth living in Thailand was “sus”, suggesting that the only reason the British expat would choose to live in Thailand was to be involved in child sex tourism.

 

He then wrote: "Sorry pedo guy, you really did ask for it."

 

The tweets were then quickly deleted but not before Twitter users took screenshots and shared the images around the world.

 

But in an interview with Channel 7 News Sydney, Mr Unsworth confirmed he is considering taking legal action against the tech billionaire.

 

 

Thai Cave Rescue: British diver Vern Unsworth has told 7 News' @MyleeHogan that he's considering legal action after being referred to as 'pedo guy' by @elonmusk. "It's not finished...I believe he's called me a 'paedophile'...I think people realise what sort of guy he is." #7News pic.twitter.com/jzVUAtraun

— 7 News Sydney (@7NewsSydney) July 16, 2018

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-07-16

[KiwiKiwi]

IMHO, it isn't worth it. Everyone knows who and what Elon Musk is. The man's a space cadet.

Edited July 16, 2018 by KiwiKiwi

[kannot]

dunno whats the  matter with folk these  days  just "forget it" everyone has to sue everyone now, just  tell him to <deleted>off and thats the end of it

[darksidedog]

Very sad that this story that was so full of joy has degenerated like this. Musk should apologise immediately and hope Mr. Unsworth will let the matter lie. I wonder if he has any idea how nasty the Thai defamation laws are?

[Bluespunk]

6 hours ago, kannot said:

dunno whats the  matter with folk these  days  just "forget it" everyone has to sue everyone now, just  tell him to <deleted>off and thats the end of it

Not sure I could just forget what musk called him. 

[CelticBhoy]

How is this "piece" going to fit into the movie then?  ?

[KhunBENQ]

11 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

I wonder if he has any idea how nasty the Thai defamation laws are?

At least it could keep Musk away from Thailand and do his PR stunts elsewhere.

Just another proof what a miserable character he is.

 

[Shroud]

Musk could easily win this case since Vern started the rant. Everyone tried to offer help in this severe situation so to blame Elon for his mini-sub and call it a PR-stunt isn't something that has valid points. In the beginning, it was the thai authorities that pleaded for international help and they got it, including Vern Unsworth. 

I'm not siding with Elon, but Vern went too far with his remarks on CNN.

[Oziex1]

Musk has always struck me as kind of OK as far as billionaire entrepreneurs go, but in the end so many successful people are just a holes.

Very poor form to call someone a Pedo in a public slanging match.

[KiwiKiwi]

7 minutes ago, Shroud said:

Musk could easily win this case since Vern started the rant. Everyone tried to offer help in this severe situation so to blame Elon for his mini-sub and call it a PR-stunt isn't something that has valid points. In the beginning, it was the thai authorities that pleaded for international help and they got it, including Vern Unsworth. 

I'm not siding with Elon, but Vern went too far with his remarks on CNN.

 

Right. So Elon Musk suggests (his) submarine to traverse caves where some underwater tunnels could barely accommodate 1 man.

 

And it's not a PR stunt?

 

OK if you're sure, but it seems like one to me.

 

[Eligius]

32 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

Not sure I could just forget what musk called him. 

Right, Bluespunk. For a man to be called a paedophile is just about the nastiest slur that could be cast on a man's character. It's not like saying something such as: 'Oh, that diver is a silly idiot'.

Calling him a paedophile constitutes a horrendous criminal charge.

[Chris Lawrence]

Sounds like a disgruntled TV member. Maybe adopted to Thai way where having your feelings hurt you sue. What did he expect. He threw petrol on the fire.

[Brunolem]

16 minutes ago, Shroud said:

Musk could easily win this case since Vern started the rant. Everyone tried to offer help in this severe situation so to blame Elon for his mini-sub and call it a PR-stunt isn't something that has valid points. In the beginning, it was the thai authorities that pleaded for international help and they got it, including Vern Unsworth. 

I'm not siding with Elon, but Vern went too far with his remarks on CNN.

Actually, Vern Unsworth was among the firsts on site and HE convinced the Thai authorities to call for international help, not the other way round.

 

Yet nobody called for Musk and Tesla, who have nothing to do with the rescue business.

 

To top it all, Musk showed up on the last day of the rescue, when 8 boys were already out...obviously the rescuers were not going to change their successful modus operandi to please Mr Musk!

 

Having said that, I think that Mr Unsworth should let go, if only because Mr Musk has much deeper pockets than him and could unleash an army of nasty lawyers to make his life miserable...

 

Edited July 16, 2018 by Brunolem

[Brunolem]

21 minutes ago, Eligius said:

Right, Bluespunk. For a man to be called a paedophile is just about the nastiest slur that could be cast on a man's character. It's not like saying something such as: 'Oh, that diver is a silly idiot'.

Calling him a paedophile constitutes a horrendous criminal charge.

If you read carefully Musk's tweet, he is in fact accusing ALL the White men living in Thailand to be pedophiles.

 

Maybe a case for a mass tort lawyer here...

 

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-07-15/twitter-meltdown-elon-musk-calls-thai-cave-diver-pedophile

 

 

 

Edited July 16, 2018 by Brunolem

[SammyT]

1 hour ago, kannot said:

dunno whats the  matter with folk these  days  just "forget it" everyone has to sue everyone now, just  tell him to f.off and thats the end of it

 

Musk has 22.3 million twitter followers. If you'd be happy with him slandering you and calling you a paedophile to that many people, so be it. It's not like it was words spoken between to two in a bar. Personally, I'd be suing him as well. Maybe I'm just not as big a man as you...

[sirineou]

 This is ridiculous, 

Musk's  offer to help was a publicity stunt but Vern's comments on CNN wasn't?  Musk's "pedo" comment was bad, but Vern's comment that Musk stick his sub up his arse was't?

Both were wrong and both should cut it out! But Musk did not start it. 

As far as Vern threatening legal action, Give me a brake. 

Musk has more layers on retainer than Vern has hair.  Actually a lot more LOL

PS:As a family men with long ties to Thailand  I also did not like the "pedo" comment Musk made. In doing so he has insulted every expat in Thailand and Thailand it's self and needs to apologize. 

 

[pkspeaker]

EM is hemorrhaging massive amounts of cash in that financial disaster callled Tesla + other losers like solar city and yet he has time and money to bring this stupid sub here, wasting everyone's time.  By the time he got here the kids were already being pulled out after extensive planning and rehearsals.  In the news they had repeatedly said that some of the passages were very narrow so <deleted> with this idiotic submarine.

[Jingthing]

56 minutes ago, CelticBhoy said:

How is this "piece" going to fit into the movie then?  ?

There can be many movies. 

[pkspeaker]

7 minutes ago, sirineou said:

 This is ridiculous, 

Musk's  offer to help was a publicity stunt but Vern's comments on CNN wasn't?  Musk's "pedo" comment was bad, but Vern's comment that Musk stick his sub up his arse was't?

Both were wrong and both should cut it out! But Musk did not start it. 

As far as Vern threatening legal action, Give me a brake. 

Musk has more layers on retainer than Vern has hair.  Actually a lot more LOL

PS:As a family men with long ties to Thailand  I also did not like the "pedo" comment Musk made. In doing so he has insulted every expat in Thailand and Thailand it's self and needs to apologize. 

 

The difference is that peodophiles really exist where-as a statement like 'stick it' is rude BUT NOT slanderous.  If your on honest hardworking family man and this jerk who-is a very prominent business man and celebrity says your a child-rapest.. this man is a professional with a good reputation. That trash cannot go un answered and Musk will have to retract it with damages.

Edited July 16, 2018 by pkspeaker

[Jingthing]

I also see this is an unfair attack on all white expats in Thailand. That's what many ignorant Americans think about Thailand. There are often jokes about that in Hollywood movies. You would think someone sophisticated like Musk would know better. 

 

However, I hate to be cynical about this but if the Thailand connection thing gets too hot for Musk he may withdraw his interest in INVESTING in Thailand, which he has voiced. That wouldn't be good. 

Edited July 16, 2018 by Jingthing

[Brunolem]

4 minutes ago, sirineou said:

 

As far as Vern threatening legal action, Give me a brake. 

Musk has more layers on retainer than Vern has hair.  Actually a lot more LOL

PS:As a family men with long ties to Thailand  I also did not like the "pedo" comment Musk made. In doing so he has insulted every expat in Thailand and Thailand it's self and needs to apologize. 

 

Exactly!

Go after Musk and an army of nasty lawyers will come down on you!

 

And by the way, Musk actually insulted you, and me, since in another tweet (it was a tweetstorm, not only one tweet...see my link above) he wrote that he didn't "see another reason for a white man to live in Thailand"!

 

[sirineou]

1 minute ago, pkspeaker said:

The difference is that peodophiles really exist where-as a statement like 'stick it' is rude BUT NOT slanderous.  If your on honest hardworking family man and this jerk who-is a very prominent business man and celebrity says your a child-rapest.. That cannot go un answered and Musk will have to retract it with damages.

Some People think that people in power are from an other species. They are not, they are just like you and me but because of some skills and a lot of luck find themselves where they are.

Did Musk over react ? yes, and he knows it that's why he deleted the tweet.

But tell me if someone questions your character, by asserting mercenary motives to your generosity. and then told you to stick it up your arse. How will you react? will you bend over?  (I am sure you will not)

I know how I will react . 

I have in the past , as I am sure you have also , and in my case it was not always pretty.

As I said both sides have not acted admirable IMO but Vern start it.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I have no idea what's going on with this, and am not inclined to take the time to figure it out.

 

But it seemed to me, in the original thread on this, there was an assertion that "pedo" is some kind of common term/slang used among divers as in torpedo man.

 

Can anyone with diving experience chime in on whether "pedo" has a different/alternate slang meaning among that particular group?

 

[sirineou]

9 minutes ago, Brunolem said:

And by the way, Musk actually insulted you, and me, since in another tweet (it was a tweetstorm, not only one tweet...see my link above) he wrote that he didn't "see another reason for a white man to live in Thailand"!

 I did not see the other Tweet, but I did think the same as you , if you read my PS you will see that I said :

20 minutes ago, sirineou said:

PS:As a family men with long ties to Thailand  I also did not like the "pedo" comment Musk made. In doing so he has insulted every expat in Thailand and Thailand it's self and needs to apologize. 

 

[300sd]

Vern

 

If you set up a "go fund me page"

 

I'm in, and mad.

[Eligius]

2 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

I have no idea what's going on with this, and am not inclined to take the time to figure it out.

 

But it seemed to me, in the original thread on this, there was an assertion that "pedo" is some kind of common term/slang used among divers as in torpedo man.

 

Can anyone with diving experience chime in on whether "pedo" has a different/alternate slang meaning among that particular group?

 

I think - unless I am mistaken - that the poster who made that comment was being sarcastic/ humorous, and was saying that Musk might come up with some such feeble, invented defence ('oh, it's a term used by divers ...'). I think that is what the poster meant. I don't think 'pedo' is normally a word used by divers of themselves or others.

But what do I know? I am no diver!

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

5 minutes ago, Eligius said:

I think - unless I am mistaken - that the poster who made that comment was being sarcastic/ humorous, and was saying that Musk might come up with some such feeble, invented defence ('oh, it's a term used by divers ...'). I think that is what the poster meant. I don't think 'pedo' is normally a word used by divers of themselves or others.

But what do I know? I am no diver!

 

Nor am I, hence the question....

 

Not to mention, Musk is one of the richest and most powerful men in the world, worth something like $20 billion U.S.  His companies build space ships and Tesla electric cars, among other things.

 

It would seem almost inconceivable that such a person would respond even to a public insult by a Joe public citizen by throwing back the P word in its criminal context --  even if his caves submarine wasn't used by the Thai authorities in the rescue.

 

And here I was hoping it would all come to a happy ending for all involved... (except for the Thai SEAL, of course).

 

 

Edited July 16, 2018 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[monkfish]

31 minutes ago, Brunolem said:

If you read carefully Musk's tweet, he is in fact accusing ALL the White men living in Thailand to be pedophiles.

 

Maybe a case for a mass tort lawyer here...

 

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-07-15/twitter-meltdown-elon-musk-calls-thai-cave-diver-pedophile

 

 

 

I don't see that or are you referring to the comment made by Kumail Nanjiani??

 

 

[from the home of CC]

This is what happens when a man's ego runs amok. At the bare minimum Musk should be issuing an apology. 

[Horace]

Even in the US, which has very strong free speech protections, calling someone a p*** creates tremendous exposure to liability to a defamation claim.  Not to be crass, but Musk is rich.  He's not judgment proof.  And Vern Unsworth has certainly suffered as a result of Musk's incredibly irresponsible tweet.  And there will be questions if Vern Unsworth doesn't respond.  I think Mr. Unsworth should sue.  No jury is going to be sympathetic to Musk after he makes that sort of claim.

 

Musk's lawyers will tell him to quickly and quietly settle the claim (unless Musk has proof to back his claim, which seems extremely unlikely), and quickly settle the claim.  A quick settlement won't be cheap. Indeed, I wonder if any lawyers in the US have already offered to handle Vern Unsworth's claim on a contingency fee basis. (I would not blame them for doing so given the huge amounts involved here).   Musk's reckless tweet may end up costing him tens of millions of dollars, and it would serve him right if it did.