Overview
- A federal judge in Florida granted summary judgment Wednesday, ending Laura Loomer’s case against Bill Maher and HBO.
- The ruling says reasonable viewers would understand the September 13, 2024 Real Time segment as a joke rather than a statement of fact.
- The court treated Loomer as a public figure and found no evidence of actual malice, which defamation law requires for public figures.
- The judge found no measurable harm, noting she identified no one who believed the insinuation, her 2024 income rose, and she kept access to President Trump.
- The clerk was directed to enter final judgment for Maher and HBO, and Loomer called the decision misogynistic and said she will appeal, a result that echoes other recent losses by Trump allies in defamation suits.