hollywood lawyer who fought gawker goes to bat for melania trump

by Davon Klein Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago 6 min read

Charles Harder

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· Hollywood lawyer who fought Gawker goes to bat for Melania Trump Charles Harder has been called ‘the rich man’s favourite tool for assaulting journalism’ – but he says current defamation standards...

Who was the mastermind behind Gawker's death?

Although he acknowledges the work by Turkel and Vogt, Harder makes plain that he was the mastermind behind Gawker's demise and touts the trial as an important reminder that First Amendment freedoms have limits. "Think twice before you invade someone's privacy or violate their rights," he wrote in a victory-lap op-ed for The Hollywood Reporter.

When did Harder file suit against Gawker?

Harder filed suit against Gawker on October 15, 2012, charging that the post was "a shameful and outrageous violation of Mr. Bollea's right of privacy by a group of loathsome Defendants who have no regard for human dignity and care only about maximizing their revenues and profits at the expense of all others." Shortly thereafter, Harder left Wolf, Rifkin, taking the lucrative case with him and starting a new firm, Harder Mirell & Abrams LLP.

Has Gawker made a lawsuit against it?

This led to some grousing, as Forbes has reported, that the firm "has made lawsuits against Gawker its 'bread and butter,'" with Harder taking on two other cases against the site.

Did Thiel hire Harder?

It's not known how Thiel recruited Harder, though it has been reported that a representative of Thiel simply called Harder and asked him to take the case. The former wrestler's own coarse sensibilities could not have mattered much to the Stanford-educated Silicon Valley titan. He wanted only to bring down Gawker, and to do it without his own involvement revealed.

How did Harder win his cases?

Harder flourished. He usually won his cases via settlement , and he did it quietly, without exposing his famous clients to undue publicity. Most often, those clients were seeking redress from a vendor who'd used a famous face in an advertisement. Harder made them stop and pay for it: a furniture company that named pieces after Clint Eastwood; a similar case involving a furniture line named after Humphrey Bogart; a Canadian fireplace-maker that sold its wares by using a picture of Jude Law.

Who is Roger Ailes' target?

Ailes's target is likely to be Gabriel Sherman of New York magazine, who wrote a book about Ailes and has more recently chronicled in great detail his history of alleged sexual harassment against female employees at Fox News. He won't talk about the case, but Lauren Starke, a spokeswoman for the magazine, has acknowledged receipt of a letter from Harder, one that suggested a potential defamation lawsuit.

Who is Terry Bollea working for?

Harder is now working for Melania Trump and Roger Ailes. Gerardo Mora/Getty

Who did Harder represent in the Ubisoft case?

In 2007, Harder represented major videogame publisher Ubisoft in a one-week arbitration trial, defeating an $11 million claim by a German videogame producer.

Who sued Shaun White?

In 2019, Harder sued Oakley on behalf of US Olympic gold medalist Shaun White, for using his name and image beyond the term permitted by an earlier contract between them. In 2020, Harder sued VICE Media on behalf of BYD, a multi-billion dollar electric vehicle manufacturer based in China backed by Warren Buffett.

Who is Stormy Daniels?

In 2018, Harder represented Trump in a defamation lawsuit filed by Stormy Daniels (real name Stephanie Clifford). On October 15, 2018, the U.S. District Court granted an anti- SLAPP motion filed by Harder, dismissing the lawsuit with prejudice and awarding Trump reimbursement of his attorneys fees against Stormy Daniels. On December 11, 2018, the court ordered Stormy Daniels to pay Trump 75% reimbursement of his attorneys fees or $292,052.33, plus a $1000 sanction on Stormy Daniels as well. "The court’s order," Harder said, "along with the court’s prior order dismissing Stormy Daniels’ defamation case against President Trump, together constitute a total victory for the President, and a total defeat for Stormy Daniels in this case." On July 31, 2020, the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals affirmed the U.S. District Court's ruling, in a unanimous 3-0 decision.

Did Melania Trump get sued by the Daily Mail?

The lawsuit was never filed and Harder withdrew from the representation the next week. In 2017, Harder represented First Lady Melania Trump in a defamation case against the Daily Mail, which resulted in a $2.9 million settlement payment to Trump, and a public retraction and apology by the Daily Mail to her.

Who took down the Gawker?

Then came the case of his career, an audacious effort on behalf of Hulk Hogan to take down the gossip website Gawker, which published snippets of a sex tape starring the former wrestler. That the billionaire investor Peter Thiel secretly was bankrolling the whole endeavor made the case even juicier.

Did Sandra Bullock wear a watch?

Sandra Bullock#N#The actress sued several jewelry vendors selling a diamond-encrusted watch advertised as having been worn by her in her Oscar-winning performance in The Blind Side. (Harder settled the case in 2014.)

Melania who? Trump's wife a forgotten memory in Slovenian home town

Melania Trump’s speech in Berwyn was billed as an attempt to soften her husband’s coarse image with white suburban women. On Tuesday, he lost Chester County. But he won Pennsylvania, a state that had voted Democratic since 1992. Nationwide, a majority of white women voted for him.

Who is Melania Trump?

Melania Trump was born to a textile worker and a car spares trader in Sevnica, Slovenia, on 26 April 1970. She has described an idyllic childhood, surrounded by forests and rivers. More weighty details are scarce: in September, many residents of Sevnica told the Guardian they remembered nothing of the young Melania.