US MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER Tony Robbins is taking legal action against news site Buzzfeed in the Irish courts over a series of articles about his alleged behaviour.
Robbins is suing Buzzfeed UK Ltd for defamation, malicious falsehood, misrepresentation, breach of privacy and the intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The articles focused on Robbins’ alleged behaviour during his time as a self-help guru over the past number of decades. Robbins described the series of articles as “a premeditated and malicious campaign against me and my life’s work”.
In a statement, Ben Smith, Editor of Buzzfeed News, said: “This reporting is based on hundreds of interviews, audio recordings, and documentary evidence, and we stand by it unequivocally.”
The statement noted that Robbins “has chosen to sue us abroad rather than address the detailed account” of a woman interviewed by Buzzfeed over an alleged incident in the 1980s in the USA.
Smith said “the fact that he doesn’t even seek to address these claims” and instead chooses to use the Irish court system “and attack Buzzfeed, speaks for itself”.
Robbins has denied the accusations and has condemned Buzzfeed’s reporting practices.
In a statement this month, he said the site’s stories were “riddled with falsehoods”.
Defamation law in Ireland, including the size of payouts, has been repeatedly criticised by journalist organisations in recent years.
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