In a striking lawsuit filed on July 3, 2024, in the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara, a medical professional and his clinic are taking legal action against several individuals for an alleged online defamation campaign. Dr. John Diep and his clinic, John Diep Medical Corporation dba Medical Hair Transplant & Aesthetics (MHTA), accuse Phu Vo and other unnamed defendants of spreading false and defamatory statements that have severely damaged their reputation and business.
The complaint, filed by attorneys Bonnie Margaret Ross and Scott F. Stuart from Messner Reeves LLP, outlines a series of accusations against Vo and others who allegedly posted misleading information about Dr. Diep's hair transplant services on forums such as Hair Transplant Network and Reddit. According to the filing, Vo used pseudonyms like "John Craig" and "Lopsided_Pair5727" to malign Dr. Diep’s professional skills and ethics following a hair transplant procedure performed on him in July 2020.
The plaintiffs claim that Vo's dissatisfaction with his procedure led him to launch a coordinated smear campaign involving multiple online platforms where prospective patients seek advice on hair transplants. The complaint states that these actions were not only false but also maliciously intended to harm Dr. Diep’s reputation: “Defendants unleashed a torrent of false and vile invective about Plaintiff, John Diep, M.D., maligning his professional reputation, skill, and competence as part of a plan to destroy his livelihood.”
Dr. Diep alleges that the defamatory posts have driven away potential patients, significantly impacted the clinic’s profits, and caused him severe emotional distress. The complaint details various specific instances where Vo allegedly made false claims about Dr. Diep’s work quality, accusing him of using improper techniques that resulted in poor outcomes for patients. One such post reads: “Diep is paying Google big big $$$ so the SEO makes sure those the reality of his shitty ass work doesn’t get displayed.” Another post claimed: “Diep doesn’t turn away any dollar. What he does is turn the lives of his patients upside down.”
The lawsuit seeks multiple forms of relief including compensatory damages for lost revenue and emotional distress suffered by Dr. Diep due to the defamatory statements. Additionally, it requests punitive damages to deter such conduct in the future as well as injunctive relief requiring the removal of all defamatory content from online forums.
Represented by attorneys Bonnie Margaret Ross and Scott F. Stuart from Messner Reeves LLP, Dr. John Diep is seeking justice against what he describes as an orchestrated effort to tarnish his name unfairly through social media platforms known for their influence over public opinion in specialized fields like medical aesthetics.
Judge L. Ayala will be presiding over this case under Case No.: 24CV442489.