The Los Angeles Superior Court has delivered a ruling in the highly publicized legal dispute between adult film stars Nikki Benz And Lisa Ann, finding in favor of Nikki Benz. The court dismissed Lisa Ann’s application for a temporary restraining order (TRO) against Benz, granting Benz’s anti-SLAPP motion. This decision marks a significant development in the conflict that originated from a heated exchange on Twitter between Nikki Benz and Lisa Ann.
The legal proceedings began after Lisa Ann filed for a temporary restraining order against Nikki Benz on February 13th, citing a series of online interactions that escalated into what Ann perceived as harassment. This “Twitter War” between Nikki Benz and Lisa Ann quickly gained media attention, with outlets like TMZ covering the unfolding drama. Lisa Ann, known for her role as Sarah Palin in the Nailin’ Paylin series and her subsequent retirement from the adult film industry, claimed Benz’s actions caused her significant distress. Nikki Benz, a Penthouse Pet of the Year and known for her outspoken personality, responded by filing an anti-SLAPP motion, arguing that Lisa Ann’s application was frivolous and lacked sufficient evidence.
The origin of the conflict can be traced back to December 2014, when Nikki Benz initiated a Twitter exchange with Lisa Ann, proposing a charity boxing match with the phrase “beat your ass.” Subsequent tweets from Nikki Benz included statements alleging Lisa Ann had few friends in the industry, and derogatory terms like “hooker” and “old.” Following these online exchanges, Lisa Ann claimed to have received numerous anonymous, threatening phone calls and voicemails. One message allegedly included a death threat, stating, “I’m going to fucking kill you! I know exactly who you are.”
Lisa Ann further asserted that these calls, which included threats made to her cell phone and the recitation of private information like her social security number and driver’s license, were particularly alarming. She claimed that a limited number of individuals had access to her home phone number, one of whom was a security guard purportedly associated with Nikki Benz at the time. Ann also alleged that Benz heckled her at an awards show and directed “menacing looks” towards her, contributing to her sense of harassment and prompting her to seek legal intervention against Nikki Benz.
In response to Lisa Ann’s TRO application, Nikki Benz filed an anti-SLAPP motion. An anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) motion is designed to protect individuals from lawsuits that are filed to chill their First Amendment rights of free speech. Benz’s legal team argued that Lisa Ann’s claims were based on protected speech and lacked merit. Judge John L. Segal, presiding over the case, ultimately sided with Nikki Benz. The court determined that Lisa Ann had not provided sufficient evidence to demonstrate that Nikki Benz’s tweets or statements constituted actionable harassment. The ruling explicitly stated that Lisa Ann “failed to submit sufficient evidence to demonstrate her petition has the minimal merit.”
Following the court’s decision, Nikki Benz expressed her satisfaction in a press release, stating, “I am thrilled that the Court has thrown out Lisa Ann’s frivolous case for supposed harassment against me. I intend to pursue her for all damages she has caused me as a result.” Benz also thanked her supporters within the adult film industry and on social media. Stephen M. Kernan, Nikki Benz’s attorney, highlighted the significance of the ruling in the context of social media and free speech, noting, “Courts would be overflowing with even more cases if they allowed ‘harassment’ cases to proceed every time a Twitter war breaks out. True harassment cases must be supported with evidence, not manufactured theories that make great soundbites on TMZ.” Kernan also indicated that they would be seeking to recover attorney’s fees from Lisa Ann as a result of the anti-SLAPP statute.
This legal outcome concludes the immediate dispute between Nikki Benz and Lisa Ann, with the court firmly rejecting Lisa Ann’s harassment claims and upholding Nikki Benz’s right to free speech within the context of their public exchange. The case underscores the complexities of online interactions and the legal thresholds for harassment, particularly in the age of social media.
