Elon Musk to go to trial in December over 'pedo guy' tweet

Los Angeles district judge ruled jury will decide whether Tesla chief’s statements about British diver amount to defamation

Adam Gabbatt

 

Elon Musk in Los Angeles in June. Musk’s lawyer said: ‘We look forward to the trial.’ Photograph: Mike Blake/Reuters

 

Elon Musk will go to trial in December, after a judge denied his request to throw out a defamation lawsuit by a British man Musk called a “pedo guy”.

 

Los Angeles district judge Stephen Wilson said a jury would now decide whether Musk’s statements about Vernon Unsworth, a British diver who helped rescue a team of young football players from an underwater cave in Thailand in 2018, amount to defamation.

 

Musk, the billionaire chief executive of Tesla, is being sued over a series of comments he made about Unsworth following the dramatic rescue. Musk called Unsworth a “pedo guy” and subsequently a “child rapist” after Unsworth mocked Musk’s plan to rescue the players using a mini-submarine.

 

Musk, the billionaire chief executive of Tesla, is being sued over a series of comments he made about Unsworth following the dramatic rescue. Musk called Unsworth a “pedo guy” and subsequently a “child rapist” after Unsworth mocked Musk’s plan to rescue the players using a mini-submarine.

 

Full story: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/oct/29/elon-musk-vernon-unsworth-tweet-trial-defamation-lawsuit

 

-- The Guardian 2019-10-30

I'm sure the amount won't worry him the slightest, it will be the embarrassment to him personally that will hurt more. 

9 minutes ago, steven100 said:

I'm sure the amount won't worry him the slightest, it will be the embarrassment to him personally that will hurt more. 

If that was the case he could settle out of court.

3 minutes ago, robblok said:

If that was the case he could settle out of court.

yeah ….not sure why he didn't.  The guy seems a bit strange imo.

8 minutes ago, steven100 said:

yeah ….not sure why he didn't.  The guy seems a bit strange imo.

He think he'll get out of this clean, which he won't. Just wonder how much the Brit might get, probably more than enough for new diving gear.

14 minutes ago, steven100 said:

 

 

I think $26 million is a fair settlement .

Offer free trip to the moon as settlement 

28 minutes ago, robblok said:

If that was the case he could settle out of court.

Since Vern is asking for only a token amount of money I doubt he would agree to an out of court settlement. He is seeking to publicly  clear his name.

 

If he were after money he'd be asking for far more than 75k.

 

Another   issue is Musk's record of issuing public apologies/retractions only to follow up with repeat slurs just a short time later.

11 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Since Vern is asking for only a token amount of money I doubt he would agree to an out of court settlement. He is seeking to publicly  clear his name.

 

The amount asked is the minimum to get in the door. The mega million dollar punitive damages will get added on later.  Vern has a smart lawyer. He will milk this for all it's worth.

 

They will never be able to punish Musk. He will escape to the Mars. 

2 hours ago, steven100 said:

I'm sure the amount won't worry him the slightest, it will be the embarrassment to him personally that will hurt more. 

It won't do his standing in his companies or his board members either.

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

Since Vern is asking for only a token amount of money I doubt he would agree to an out of court settlement. He is seeking to publicly  clear his name.

 

If he were after money he'd be asking for far more than 75k.

 

Another   issue is Musk's record of issuing public apologies/retractions only to follow up with repeat slurs just a short time later.

Yes but I don't recall Unsworth offering any type of apology for his slurs on CNN.

2 hours ago, steven100 said:

yeah ….not sure why he didn't.  The guy seems a bit strange imo.

Possibly the greatest understatement since Noah observed that "it has rained quite a lot lately"!????

Would be funny if they find him guilty and post a 50$ fine.

2 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

He think he'll get out of this clean, which he won't. Just wonder how much the Brit might get, probably more than enough for new diving gear.

Who would he buy new diving gear for? 

why not settle in thailand?  just buy the judge or court

4 hours ago, robblok said:

If that was the case he could settle out of court.

Nooo, if he did that it would be an admission he was daft/weird, if he loses he will just shrug his shoulders and plead "I thought I said nothing wrong"....

Forget the cash payout and legal fees, money does not come into his equation...

3 hours ago, leeneeds said:

Offer free trip to the moon as settlement 

Bet he wishes he could give him a one way flight there now

2 minutes ago, cnx101 said:

Bet he wishes he could give him a one way flight there now

In his submarine....????

Musk is not going to court,His lawyers are. I am sure he has hundreds of lawsuits against him and an army of lawyers defending them, We probably know more about this case that he does. 

12 minutes ago, sirineou said:

Musk is not going to court,His lawyers are. I am sure he has hundreds of lawsuits against him and an army of lawyers defending them, We probably know more about this case that he does. 

"We probably know more..."

 

I don't think so-and neither does "Rosebud"

Jesus, just make a pubic apology and settle on a nice little sum for the damaged party already.

4 minutes ago, kamahele said:

Jesus, just make a pubic apology and settle on a nice little sum for the damaged party already.

He can't as everytime he makes an apology he back tracks about 10 minutes later.Best for him to be taught a lesson and his mobile (cell) phone impounded which might also be a very good idea for a few other Americans with digital numbnutitis.

Looks like Vernon is the least of his problems! ????

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7594727/Pablo-Escobars-brother-sues-Elon-Musk-77m-claims-stole-idea-flamethrower.html

 

Next, it’ll be one of El Chapo’s brothers suing Musk by claiming he ‘stole’ his idea for a ‘novelty’ submarine!

 

 

When will you understand that with these articles you give him great pleasure?
A publicity at no cost cannot find it elsewhere, the parasite!

Or maybe he already paid you?

As I recall, the cynical on this site were absolutely certain that nothing good would come of it and Vern would end up deeper in the ka-ka. Once again, the collective expertise gets it completely wrong...

Looks like he is trying to generate some positive publicity:

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-7630043/Elon-Musk-donates-1million-YouTubers-campaign-plant-20-million-trees.html

 

 

23 hours ago, monkfish said:

Yes but I don't recall Unsworth offering any type of apology for his slurs on CNN.

what slurs would they be? 

Musk will be found guilty. 

 

Judgement - 500 baht and a Wai