Judge Sides with Alexa Nikolas in Freedman Defamation Case

A judge has denied Hollywood attorney Bryan Freedman's anti-SLAPP motion in a legal battle with "Zoey 101" alum Alexa Nikolas. The ruling means Nikolas' defamation claims against Freedman can proceed. Nikolas alleged that Freedman and his circle coordinated a smear campaign against her, utilizing websites and social media to damage her reputation.

Evidence from other lawsuits, including one filed by Blake Lively against director Justin Baldoni and another by publicist Stephanie Jones, has reportedly surfaced, implicating Freedman in smear efforts. Nikolas' legal team argued that this evidence reveals a pattern of behavior, suggesting Freedman was involved in directing such campaigns against individuals with adversarial connections to his clients.

The judge noted a "tangled web of connections" between various smear sites, suggesting a conspiracy orchestrated by Freedman. Freedman had argued that many of the statements were non-actionable opinions, but the court found Nikolas had established a probability of success on her defamation claims. The ruling allows Nikolas to continue pursuing her case to identify all parties involved in the alleged smear campaign.