NewsCorp News & Analysis

Trump's $10 Billion Defamation Suit vs Murdoch, WSJ Dismissed

A federal judge in Miami dismissed with prejudice former President Donald Trump's amended defamation lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal. The suit concerned the paper's reporting on a purported 50th birthday letter from Trump to Jeffrey Epstein. Judge Darrin Gayles ruled Trump did not plausibly show the defendants acted with actual malice in publishing the July 2025 story. This ruling follows an earlier dismissal in April 2025, allowing an amended complaint which was again rejected after six months. The judge praised the Journal's "thoughtful and detailed investigation" and did not rule on whether Trump actually authored the letter. Trump had sought $10 billion in damages from Murdoch's News Corp and Dow Jones & Co., the Journal's publisher. The dismissal with prejudice prevents Trump from filing a similar suit again in federal court over this matter. Trump's legal team announced plans to appeal the ruling. The Journal's publisher said it was pleased with the decision. The case highlights the high bar public figures face in defamation suits requiring proof of actual malice. This matters for investors as it removes significant legal uncertainty for News Corp and Dow Jones, protecting them from a potentially costly lawsuit loss and damages payout that Trump sought. It also confirms courts’ stringent standards in defamation cases involving public figures like Trump, which can influence media companies’ risk assessment regarding controversial reporting.