Federal Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga has reversed her previous decision to set aside Megan Thee Stallion‘s defamation victory against blogger Milagro Gramz. The ruling, issued on May 29, confirms that the Grammy-winning artist remains entitled to the damages previously awarded by a jury.
The legal dispute centered on defamatory statements made by Gramz regarding the artist. The court had initially waived the verdict on procedural grounds, citing a failure to provide the defendant with pre-suit notice. However, upon further review, the court determined that such protections, which are typically reserved for journalists, did not apply in this instance.
Evidence presented during the trial revealed that the blogger had been commissioned by Tory Lanez and his father to disseminate defamatory content aimed at damaging the reputation of Megan Thee Stallion. Consequently, the court concluded that this arrangement disqualified Gramz from the standard legal protections afforded to legitimate media members.
“Because the trial record shows that defendant was commissioned by the Petersons to publish or broadcast the three defamatory statements, the court finds as a matter of law that defendant was not entitled to pre-suit notice,” the judge noted.
Following the reinstatement of the verdict, the artist expressed her relief and commitment to accountability. “I’m truly grateful for the judge’s thoughtful and thorough consideration in reinstating the jury’s defamation verdict and holding the defendant fully accountable for all of her actions. I’m ready to finally close this chapter, and I hope this sends a powerful message that spreading lies and defamatory statements has clear consequences,” she stated, as reported by Rolling Stone.
With this legal hurdle cleared, Milagro Gramz is now required to pay the full $75,000 in damages previously awarded to the artist.
