Overview
- The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida awarded $750,000 for emotional distress, $78,000 for reputational harm, and $2 million in punitive damages.
- The case arose from March 2025 posts that accused O'Leary of murder, published his personal phone number, drew roughly 156,000 views, and triggered a brief platform suspension.
- O'Leary testified that the disclosure led to hundreds of calls and forced security changes, including about $200,000 in additional annual protection costs and modified travel routines.
- Armstrong was served in March 2025 but failed to respond, resulting in a clerk's default in May and an October 30, 2025 evidentiary hearing on damages that he did not attend.
- The court found actual malice and cited a pattern of hostile communications, then denied Armstrong's Rule 60(b) bid that invoked incarceration and mental-health conditions for lack of excusable neglect and due to prejudice to O'Leary.