Young Chiefs fan's defamation lawsuit against Deadspin to move forward: 'Crossed the fine line'
SUMMARY
A Delaware judge has ruled that the Armenta family's lawsuit against Deadspin can proceed after the sports blog accused their 9-year-old son, Holden Armenta, of wearing blackface during a Kansas City Chiefs game. Deadspin writer Carron Phillips published an article in 2023 using an image that showed only the black-painted half of Holden's face, accusing him of racism and claiming his parents taught him "hatred." The article drew widespread backlash, with Holden’s parents, Raul Jr. and Shannon, filing a lawsuit against Deadspin in February, accusing the site of defamation for selectively showing only part of Holden's face and making false claims. On Monday, Superior Court Judge Sean Lugg denied Deadspin's motion to dismiss, stating that the blog made "provable false assertions" about the young fan. "Deadspin published an image of a child displaying his passionate fandom as a backdrop for its critique of the NFL’s diversity efforts," Lugg wrote.
