New York Times loses first defamation trial in more than 50 years to ex-Alabama player Kai Spears
In March 2023, Billy Witz falsely reported that Kai Spears, then an Alabama Crimson Tide basketball player, had been in the passenger seat of Brandon Miller’s car at the time of a fatal shooting in Tuscaloosa that January. Spears later sued The New York Times for defamation. Spears’ lawsuit made it to civil trial in the…
In March 2023, Billy Witz of The New York Times falsely reported that Kai Spears, an Alabama Crimson Tide basketball player, was in the passenger seat of Brandon Miller's car during a fatal shooting in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Spears subsequently sued The New York Times for defamation. The lawsuit reached a historic civil trial in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, concluding on Thursday, August 20, 2026.
A Tuscaloosa jury awarded Spears "roughly $9.25 million in damages" and found The New York Times liable for defamation and false light/invasion of privacy, according to Ryan Phillips of Tuscaloosa Patch. The Times confirmed the verdict and expressed disappointment in the decision, stating that they believe the verdict is contrary to law and not supported by the evidence, adding that they are reviewing their legal options.
Kai Spears and his family expressed relief and gratitude for the outcome, with the hope that the verdict will help protect individuals in similar circumstances in the future.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
