Stewart Lucas Murrey defamation lawsuit thrown out by Los Angeles judge for seeking to intimidate defendants of closed Facebook group, ‘Are we dating the same guy.’ Defendants, Vanessa Valdez and Olivia Berger expressing feeling vindicated as they risked potential financial ruin in their conviction in ‘free speech.’
A Los Angeles judge has dismissed a defamation lawsuit brought forward by a LA chad bachelor against more than 50 women after he discovered they were discussing him in a Facebook group called ‘Are we dating the same guy?’
The dismissal of the man’s defamation lawsuit comes as the judge stated it amounting to a preemptive attempt by the man to intimidate and ‘silence’ free speech.
Dozens of women called Stewart Lucas Murrey, from Santa Monica, a ‘bad date’ before the man launching a suit after claims on the forum labeling him a murderer along with accusing him of having STIs.
Despite the man’s protestations, a judge in downtown Los Angeles ruled in favor of defendant Vanessa Valdez, FOX11 reported. The defamation suit had sought over $2 million from the women for damages, libel and expenses.
The women argued they had done nothing wrong by posting their personal opinions in a private online group on social media.
The judge found no evidence of conspiracy on the women’s part and granted an Anti-SLAPP motion – which protects those who speak out on matters of public interest against abusive lawsuits made to silence them.
‘Just feels really good to be dismissed from all counts, it wasn’t just the two counts of defamation, but all 11 counts be filed against me,’ Valdes said during a press conference Monday.
‘We all have various Anti-SLAPP hearings in the weeks to come and obviously we hope that with Vanessa’s ruling it kind of sets the precedent for the following hearings,’ said another defendant, Olivia Berger.
The judge also reportedly found that based on the evidence presented, the court did not see any possibility of Murray winning against the defendants on any claim he made.
It comes after the Yale educated scholar last month attempted to sue dozens of potential suitors after claiming he was subjected to false and defamatory posts and comments being made about him in the group.
A cursory glance on a personal blog by Dr. Lucas Murrey described himself as the author of Hölderlin’s Dionysiac Poetry and Nietzsche: The Meaning of Earth with the teaser, ‘more work forthcoming.’
A scroll down the page included updates on his litigation and claims against the women, including his plans to sue for defamation, sex-based discrimination, intentional infliction of emotional distress, libel and invasion of privacy – among others.
The lawsuit stemmed from the private Los-Angeles specific social media group, which has over 52,500 members the dailymail reported.
It is labeled as a place where daters can highlight any warnings about potentially harmful and deceitful men.
Murrey had alleged that the women posted a variety of false statements about him including claims he had lied about being an attorney, had tried to swindle money from them, and had sexually-transmitted diseases.
He also highlighted that the post made more serious claims, including that he was facing several domestic violence charges as well as being suspected of murder and involved in a homicide case.
Murrey has denied all claims, alleging he only recalls meeting one of the women ‘for less than 15 minutes’.
But in a post to GoFundMe last month, Murray alleged he had matched with one woman on a dating app before giving her his phone number and then quickly blocking her as he became suspicious of her photos.
‘Instead of going her separate way, she posted about me in a few of these Facebook groups, obsessively digging for information, bumping her own original post about me multiple times in a year, and later calling me a “viral” subject,’ he said according to the dailymail.
Murrey also went on to claim that he had never met the woman in real life and the ‘first time I ever really saw her face was on TV when she took part in a press release about me’.
According to the Chad bachelor, at least 238 Facebook accounts posted his pictures into the group, tracked his location, and fabricated stories about them meeting.
‘Let me reiterate: I have never met most of them in my life. I have barely talked to, if ever, any of them. I only recall meeting one of them and her for less than 15 minutes before I left,’ Murray added.
‘Any minimal interaction with them was abruptly cut off by my swift rejection. When I saw them on TV to hold a press conference about me, it was the first time I was seeing most of their faces’.
The chad bachelor accused several women of ‘hate-filled’ and ‘relentless cyberbullying’ before his case came crashing down.
He has since raised over $5,450 of his $60,000 goal through his personal fundraiser, which he claims will go towards ‘the vast amount of legal fees, damage expert, deposition expenses, research, and time to deal with an overwhelming amount of work against multiple defendants’.
One of the defendants, Valdes, revealed that she had previously connected with Murray on Hinge.
She previously told KTLA: ‘Right out of the gate, [he] gave me his phone number and said, “Let’s hang.”
‘I commented with one message saying “bold move” with a happy face and then a barrage of harassing messages came afterward. So I immediately blocked him and reported him.’
Vanessa claimed that it was not until years later that she commented on a post about her exchange with Murray.
The lawsuit claimed Murray had consistently attempted to join the group to defend himself, but was denied access.
The Are We Dating The Same Guy? Facebook page has a lengthy description which reads: ‘This group is a place for women to protect, support, and empower other women.
‘A place where woman can speak freely, openly, and honestly without the fear of harassment or intimidation. There are four main uses of this page.
‘It can be used as a place where women can warn other women about liars, cheaters, abusers, or anyone who exhibits any type of toxic or dangerous behavior.
‘It can be used to check to see if anyone has posted any warnings about someone that you’re considering dating.
‘It can be used to inquire about someone you’re dating or may potentially date to see if anyone has had any experiences with that person.
‘This is a safe space where women can ask for advice and relationship support, as well as post anything else dating related that can help bring us together, keep us safe, or help us help each other.’
