YouTuber ordered to pay $17.5 million in defamation lawsuit related to Kiely Rodni true crime video
A verdict of $17.5 million was delivered in a defamation trial involving a YouTuber and a video he produced concerning the Kiely Rodni case. The lawsuit targeted YouTuber Ryan Upchurch, brought by family members of the deceased 16-year-old, Kiely Rodni. Rodni went missing in August 2022 after attending a party near Tahoe National Forest. Tragically, her body was found inside her SUV in a nearby lake. Authorities concluded that her death was accidental and found no evidence of foul play.
In 2023, Rodni’s father, Daniel Rodni, and her grandfather, David Robertson, filed a lawsuit against Upchurch in federal court in Nashville. They accused him of defaming them in a video titled “ZERO proof of Kiely Rodni situation being REAL.” The lawsuit alleged that Upchurch insinuated that the case was a hoax designed to generate funds through GoFundMe. Upchurch was quoted in the video saying, “Everyone telling me I should be ashamed of myself, how dare you, that, oh, this is faked-show me that it’s real. Show me proof of Kiely Rodni.”
Attorneys representing Rodni’s family asserted that the video disseminated false information during a period of profound mourning, tarnishing the family’s reputation and causing emotional harm. Chris Smith, a lawyer for Rodni’s family, expressed how the family felt powerless and victimized by the viral videos that garnered hundreds of thousands of views on a platform with three million followers.
The case revolved around the boundaries of online commentary within the true crime community, questioning whether the statements made in viral videos crossed over from opinion to defamation. The jury ultimately sided with Rodni’s family, holding Upchurch accountable with a $17.5 million judgment.
In response to the verdict, Upchurch’s legal team issued a statement conveying their “heartfelt sympathy” to the family without commenting on the judgment itself. They emphasized the importance of freedom of speech as a fundamental right necessary for every free society, asserting that Upchurch is an advocate for constitutional rights while also expressing empathy for the family in their time of grief.
The case will now proceed to the punitive damages phase, as indicated by an attorney involved in the proceedings. The outcome of this trial underscores the significance of responsible online commentary and the potential consequences of crossing the line from opinion to defamation in the public sphere.