FindLaw tells us that public figures like Chicago's own Oprah Winfrey generally cannot sue others for libel or slander, the two main types of defamation, by virtue of their celebrity. But there's nothing to stop someone from suing a public figure for defamation.
CNN reports that Ms. Winfrey, the famous talk show host and trend-setter, has been sued for defamation by the former headmistress of the South African girls school she funded and helped start. As a result of this lawsuit, Ms. Winfrey was going to be required to appear in court in Philadelphia.
Lerato Nomvuyo Mzamane claims Ms. Winfrey defamed her in 2007 by making public statements implying that Ms. Mzamane knew about alleged sex abuse at the school and covered it up. She was suspended upon the public release of Ms. Winfrey's remarks and later fired from her post.
Several students at the school had complained about abuse, although the details of the alleged abuse were not discussed.
While Ms. Winfrey did not explicitly state that Ms. Mzamane was responsible for the alleged abuse, she was quoted telling parents of the students that she "lost confidence" in Ms. Mzamane's ability to supervise the school.
Another quote to parents made public and cited in Ms. Mzamane's lawsuit suggests Ms. Winfrey held her personally responsible for the abuse:
"It was my intention by putting somebody in charge who was African, and was female, I believe that she would care as much for these girls as I do myself. I'm sorry I was let down."
Ms. Mzamane claims that she did not learn about the abuse complaints until later and that Ms. Winfrey did not give her an opportunity to explain what she knew about the allegations.
While the case was set to move forward, Ms. Winfrey met personally with the plaintiff and settled the case. The settlement agreement was confidential.
Related Resources:
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Elements of Libel and Slander (FindLaw)
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Defamation Lawsuit: Oprah Winfrey Trial Set to Begin (FindLaw's Celebrity Justice Blog)
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Browse Chicago Injury Lawyers (FindLaw)
