LOS ANGELES – A former NFL player alleges an Instagram post damaged his external reputation and caused other damages.
Dimitri Patterson filed a complaint on Aug. 15 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against Baller Alert Inc., Baller Alert LLC and Robin Lyon alleging defamation and other counts.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff played for the NFL for a decade and has never been charged with a crime by the state of Florida pursuant to that state's laws. He alleges on Aug. 16, 2017, the defendants disseminated a post titled "Former NFL Player Detained for Injuring Two Officers" on Instagram that he alleges was defamatory.
The plaintiff holds Bailer Alert Inc., Baller Alert LLC and Lyon responsible because the defendants allegedly defamed him by knowingly publishing statements about him that they knew should have been false.
The plaintiff seeks actual damages in the amount of $10 million, presumed damages of $1 million, an order for the removal of the defamatory Instagram post, a full and fair correction and apology and such other just and equitable relief. He is representing himself.
U.S. District Court for the Central District of California case number 2:18-cv-07068-RGK-AFM