In a striking legal battle, an individual from Milpitas has taken to the courts, accusing another local resident of a series of defamatory actions that have allegedly tarnished her reputation and invaded her privacy. On January 7, 2025, Hon Lien filed a complaint in the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara against Karina R. Dominguez. The lawsuit outlines multiple grievances including defamation per se, defamation per quod, intrusion into private affairs, public disclosure of private facts, and false light.
The plaintiff, Hon Lien, asserts that Dominguez made several false statements about her that were damaging both personally and professionally. According to the complaint, these allegations include claims made on May 27, 2024, when Dominguez sent a text message to Marsha Grilli alleging that Lien had conducted business in another country and was banned from returning under threat of arrest. Additionally, Dominguez purportedly claimed it was not Costco but rather Lien's failure to adhere to export laws that led to her business downfall. These statements are categorically denied by Lien as false.
Further accusations surfaced on October 14, 2024, when Dominguez allegedly told Paul Ellis that Lien was involved in evicting a mother and child from their home in Vietnam—another claim Lien refutes as baseless. Adding fuel to the fire were social media posts by Dominguez suggesting that Lien was causing harm to her family in Vietnam.
Lien's complaint underscores the serious nature of these allegations by emphasizing how they have subjected her to public ridicule and damaged her professional standing. She contends that these actions by Dominguez were intentional and done with knowledge or reckless disregard for their falsity. Despite being given an opportunity to retract these statements through a cease-and-desist letter, Dominguez allegedly failed to do so adequately.
Seeking justice for the harm caused by these alleged transgressions, Lien is pursuing compensatory damages for the reputational damage suffered along with punitive damages intended to deter such conduct in the future. The complaint also seeks reasonable attorney’s fees and other relief deemed appropriate by the court.
Represented by attorney Duyen H. Nguyen from San Jose-based Law Offices of Duyen H. Nguyen, Hon Lien is determined to hold Karina R. Dominguez accountable for what she perceives as malicious acts against her character and privacy rights. The case is presided over by Judge J. Nguyen under Case No. 25CV455909.