Richard Simmons To Pay National Enquirer $130,000 After Failed Transgender Libel Suit
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Richard Simmons is on the hook for $130,000 after unsuccessfully suing the National Enquirer for publishing a story that falsely claimed the workout guru was transitioning from male to female.
The Los Angeles Times reports that the National Enquirer was awarded this amount in a decision handed down Friday. The tabloid had initially requested $220,000 to compensate lawyers.
The lawsuit, which accused the National Enquirer of defaming Simmons’s character by publishing the story based only on false claims from a former assistant, was thrown out in September after the judge ruled that calling someone transgender is not inherently offensive.
The decision is reflective of a new standard in our country, as outing someone, falsely or otherwise, as gay or transgender would once have destroyed their career.
Simmons has appealed the decision.
Becky Scott is the editor of The Schmooze. Follow her on Twitter, @arr_scott
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