Valnet and TheWrap Settle Defamation Lawsuit After Judge Grants 2 Anti-SLAPP Motions
The two parties settled after a federal judge threw out most of the claims Valnet brought against TheWrap including the central claim of defamation The post Valnet and TheWrap Settle Defamation Lawsuit After Judge Grants 2 Anti-SLAPP Motions appeared first on TheWrap .
Valnet and TheWrap have reached a settlement in a defamation lawsuit after a federal judge dismissed the central claim that TheWrap defamed Valnet in three 2025 articles. U.S. District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr. dismissed the defamation claim in April following TheWrap's filing of an anti-SLAPP motion, a legal defense aimed at stopping meritless lawsuits meant to silence public speech.
Valnet, which owns websites such as ScreenRant and Collider, had sued TheWrap and reporter Umberto Gonzalez for $64.5 million in damages over an investigative article about Valnet's alleged "sweatshop" conditions and the owner's past in the porn industry. The lawsuit was initially filed in April 2025, with additional articles added in March 2025 about sexual discrimination and layoffs at Valnet-owned Military.com.
The dismissed claims included libel related to Pornhub video discussion and allegations of sexual discrimination at Valnet. The settlement terms were not disclosed, and Valnet declined to comment on the matter.
Written by urgent.news from TheWrap's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
