In a move that could set a dangerous precedent for madcap tweeters, a designer is suing Love for defamation, claiming Love ruined her career in 140-character bursts.
According to The Hollywood Reporter Boudoir Queen designer Dawn Younger-Smith (nee Simorangkir) is claiming that a series of nasty tweets -- which go out to Love's 40,000 followers -- officially ruined her fashion career. As The Hollywood Reporter points out, the case marks "the first high-profile defamation trial over a celebrity’s comments on Twitter."
Love was a big fan of Boudoir Queen, frequently wearing the 1920s-inspired corsets and gowns from Youger-Smith's Etsy shop, but the two fell out after Simorangkir alleged Love failed to pay for thousands of dollars worth of clothing.
Love retaliated over Twitter, accusing Younger-Smith of taking advantage of her famous position, and claiming the desinger was a prostitute, among other things.
Younger-Smith's case raises some serious questions for the social media universe about whether a celebrity's tweets are considered First Ammendment-protected opinion, or whether -- on the basis of Love's many followers -- the tweets can be interpreted as fact, and thus subject to defamation laws. Regardless, as Love's attorney told The Hollywood Reporter, "We don’t believe there’s any defamation, and even if there were defamatory statements, there was no damage.”
