UPDATED 11/2/24: Conservative investigative journalist and political activist Laura Loomer has officially filed a $150 million defamation lawsuit against comedian Bill Maher and the HBO network. Represented by Judicial Watch and Freedom Watch founder Larry Klayman, Loomer’s lawsuit stems from remarks made by Maher on his HBO show, where he falsely implied that Loomer was having an affair with former President Donald Trump.
This legal battle follows Loomer’s previous warnings that she might pursue legal action if Maher and HBO refused to retract their defamatory statements. Loomer alleges that these comments were part of a broader campaign to damage both her reputation and Trump’s presidential campaign.
On the September 13, 2024, episode of Real Time with Bill Maher, the comedian made the inflammatory suggestion that Loomer was involved in an extramarital affair with Donald Trump. Maher said, “I think maybe Laura Loomer is in an arranged relationship to affect the election,” going further by crudely suggesting Trump was “f***ing” Loomer. The context of this shocking accusation was Maher’s defense of Taylor Swift and NFL star Travis Kelce, who were also caught up in rumors of an “arranged” relationship to sway voters.
Loomer, a well-known Trump supporter, was quick to deny the allegations and called Maher’s comments an attempt to discredit her work as an investigative journalist. In her response to Maher’s accusations, Loomer labeled the claim a “complete and blatant lie” and referred to it as part of a “full-blown character assassination campaign.”
Initially, Loomer demanded that Maher and HBO retract their statements and issue a public apology. However, her legal team, led by Larry Klayman, claimed that both Maher and HBO refused to back down, even allegedly threatening Loomer with legal action of their own. According to Klayman, “Maher and HBO arrogantly refused the opportunity to retract their defamatory remarks and instead threatened Ms. Loomer.”
This refusal prompted Loomer to proceed with a defamation lawsuit, seeking $150 million in damages for the harm done to her reputation, as well as the emotional and professional fallout she claims to have suffered as a result of Maher’s comments.
Klayman’s statement made it clear that Maher and HBO would now have to face accountability in court. “Both Maher and Home Box Office will now have to answer to a jury of their peers. When this is over, Maher, the self-styled political pundit, and his Hollywood network, HBO, will not be laughing,” he said.
Loomer announced her lawsuit via a press release shared on her social media account on X (formerly Twitter). In her post, she reiterated her denial of Maher’s accusations and confirmed that she was taking legal action against him and HBO.
“Today, I filed a defamation lawsuit against @billmaher Bill Maher and HBO @HBO for falsely accusing me of having an affair with President Donald Trump on a September 13th episode of Maher’s show @RealTimers,” Loomer wrote.
The post immediately generated a wave of support from her followers, many of whom echoed her outrage and accused Maher of pushing a false narrative to smear a prominent conservative voice. For Loomer, the stakes go beyond just her personal reputation; she believes this lawsuit is a stand against what she sees as the media’s pattern of defaming conservative figures, particularly women who support Trump.
This lawsuit is not just a legal battle between Loomer and Maher—it’s become a symbol of the ongoing culture wars that dominate American politics. Loomer, known for her sharp investigative reporting and vocal support for conservative causes, has often been at the center of controversy. She has taken on social media giants, mainstream media, and left-leaning politicians, branding herself as a crusader against what she sees as the liberal establishment’s attempt to suppress conservative voices.
Maher, on the other hand, is a long-time critic of Trump and right-wing politics. His Real Time show often delves into politically charged topics, where he uses humor and satire to critique the Trump administration and its supporters. By bringing up Loomer in the context of his broader commentary on the 2024 election and suggesting she was part of a conspiracy to manipulate the political process, Maher opened the door to the defamation claims.
With Larry Klayman leading her legal team, Loomer is positioning this case as not just a personal matter but as part of a larger fight against defamation in the media. Klayman, a seasoned lawyer who has taken on numerous high-profile cases, is no stranger to political controversies. He has a history of defending conservative figures and has been a vocal critic of what he views as media bias.
In the lawsuit, Loomer is seeking $150 million in damages, which she argues is necessary to compensate for the damage done to her professional career, her personal life, and the emotional distress caused by the false accusations. Loomer’s attorneys are expected to argue that Maher’s remarks were not only defamatory but also harmful to her standing as an investigative journalist and political commentator.
As the case moves forward, it will likely attract significant media attention, given the high-profile nature of both Loomer and Maher. Legal experts anticipate a drawn-out battle, with both sides potentially using the lawsuit as a platform to highlight their respective political and cultural positions.
While it remains to be seen how the case will ultimately play out in court, one thing is clear: this lawsuit is more than just a personal grudge match between Loomer and Maher. It’s a clash of ideologies, with the potential to influence the ongoing discourse surrounding defamation, media accountability, and political commentary in America.
The press release reads:
BILL MAHER AND HOME BOX OFFICE SUED BY LAURA LOOMER FOR DEFAMATION
Falsely Broadcasted that Laura Loomer Committed Adultery with President Donald Trump
$150 Million Plus Punitive Damages Claimed
(The Villages, Florida, October 22, 2024). Today, Larry Klayman, the founder of both Judicial Watch and Freedom Watch, a former federal prosecutor and former candidate for the U.S. Senate in Florida, announced the filing of a defamation complaint against Bill Maher and Home Box Office for broadcasting with actual malice that Republican female conservative activist Laura Loomer has committed adultery with President Donald Trump.
The complaint has been filed in the district where Ms. Loomer ran for US Congress and has strong roots and has a community reputation as a respected moral figure. The Complaint can be found at www.larryklavman.com and is embedded below. Loomer v. Bill Maher & Home Box Office, Filing No. 209255746 (Fifth Judicial Circuit In and For Sumter County, Florida).
After filing the complaint on behalf of Ms. Loomer against Maher and Home Box Office, Larry Klayman had this to say:
“Ms. Loomer has been a strong advocate for President Donald Trump in her profession as a conservative activist and investigative journalist over the past decade. Ms. Loomer promotes individual freedoms, strong national security, secure and closed borders, and constitutional conservative values generally, all of which are in league with President Trump’s pro-American policies and agenda. Accordingly, she became a target of Bill Maher and Home Box Office, both of whom advocate for Democrat Party officials and values. They attacked Ms. Loomer with defamatory statements as a vehicle to harm President Trump and his campaign for the presidency of the United States, and to harm Ms. Loomer’s credibility. Bill Maher is a known Trump hater.
It is an outrage that Maher and Home Box Office would try to destroy a professional woman in their zeal to harm President Trump.”
“To unmask the actual malice of these Defendants, before suit was filed, Klayman asked Maher and HBO under Florida law to retract their false and malicious statements about Ms. Loomer and to publicly apologize during Maher’s show, in which Ms. Loomer would appear, to mitigate the damage caused to her reputation and generally. Both Maher and Home Box Office, through their partisan Democrat anti-Trump lawyers, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, arrogantly refused and instead threatened Ms. Loomer. I have opposed these highly partisan lawyers many times in the past. See https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/politics-news/trumps-war-fake-news-law-firm-defending-free-press-1197104; https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/fake-news-era-meet-lawver-taking-media-titans-1197154.
Klayman added, “Neither Ms. Loomer nor I will entertain politically motivated and unfounded and malicious defamation and threats, which put her at great risk. Thus, both Maher and Home Box Office will now have to answer to a jury of their peers. When this is over, Maher, the self-styled political pundit, and his Hollywood network, HBO, will not be laughing.”
The full complaint can be read here.
X post from Loomer below:
🚨ANNOUNCEMENT🚨
Today, I filed a defamation lawsuit against @billmaher Bill Maher and HBO @HBO for falsely accusing me of having an affair with President Donald Trump on a September 13th episode of Maher’s show @RealTimers.
"Ms. Loomer has been a strong advocate for President… pic.twitter.com/h7ndVZh3mW
— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) October 22, 2024
1 Comment
Place me on the JURY. I guaranty that it will not be “only” 150 million. I would give that as liquidated damages and 5 times that as punitive damages. Possibly doubling or tripling the entirety because they were given legal opportunity to correct their lies that were designed to harm reputations.
In virtually every state, stating that a woman is unchaste, is defacto defamation. The ONLY defense is PROOF. That is never going to happen.
Maybe 450 million in damages and 1.5 billion in punitive damages. The Left had lead the way with unrealistically high awards, time to return the favor.