Perez Hilton v. Jonathan Jaxson [1]

On April 8, 2008, Perez Hilton sued [1] fellow gossip-blogger Jonathan Jaxson for libel, slander, invasion of privacy, harassment, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Jaxson, the former publicist for the Backstreet Boys whose real name is Jonathan Wayne Lewandowski, operates a blog called JJ's Dirt [2] that feeds the public's apparently unlimited hunger for celebrity gossip.

The complaint [3], which Hilton filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleges that Jaxson slandered him by stating that Hilton had solicited sexual favors from Jaxson in exchange for help promoting Jaxson’s website. The complaint specifically refers to a February 28 article in the New York Post [4] in which Jaxson stated that Hilton encouraged him to send sex tapes of himself. "He would tell me he would give me stories for my blog," Jaxson told the Post. "He used me."

Hilton also claims that statements Jaxson made to ABC News, Popcrunch.com, and HollywoodCrap.com, were defamatory. According to ABC News.com [5] and allegations in Hilton's complaint:

Jaxson sent ABCNEWS.com copies of several instant message conversations he claims he had online with Lavandeira. The conversations appear to show Lavandeira requesting sex videos from Jaxson, apparently coaching him on who to send the tapes to and also contains several nude shots of Jaxson. ABCNEWS.com has not been able to independently verify the authenticity of the instant message conversations. . . .

"[Lavandeira] was using me as his personal porn service," said Jaxson, who admitted to sending several sex tapes and photographs featuring himself to Lavandeira on the condition that he would alert him to breaking celebrity news. "I felt manipulated."

Hilton states in his complaint that there was no agreement to exchange sex for his helping publicize Jaxson's blog.

Adding to the emotional nature of the dispute, Jaxson published [6] Hilton's personal phone number on his blog earlier this week and told his readers that Perez "has hurt me and millions of others, because of this I think you should call him and let him know how you feel."

Under California's court rules, Jaxson has 30 days to answer the complaint.

Update:

5/9/2008 - Jaxson gave notice of the case's removal [7] to the United States District Court, Central District of California.

6/2/2008 - Jaxson answered [8] Hilton's complaint.

9/18/2008 - The parties entered [9] into a written settlement agreement. (See exhibit A).

7/15/2009 - Jaxson filed a lawsuit [10] against Hilton, alleged that he violated the 9/18/2008 settlement agreement.