Supreme Court Rejects Dershowitz’s Defamation Appeal Against CNN

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear Alan Dershowitz’s appeal in his defamation lawsuit against CNN, effectively upholding the 1964 landmark ruling in New York Times v. Sullivan. The decision leaves intact the high bar for public figures to prove defamation, requiring evidence of "actual malice"—knowledge of falsity or reckless disregard for the truth. Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch dissented, arguing the standard bears "no relation to the text, history, or structure of the Constitution." Dershowitz, a retired Harvard law professor, sued CNN for $300 million over its coverage of his remarks during President Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial in 2020. Lower courts dismissed the case, ruling Dershowitz failed to show CNN acted with actual malice. The case centered on CNN’s portrayal of Dershowitz’s arguments about presidential impeachment, which he claimed were distorted to suggest he had "lost his mind." CNN maintained its reporting was accurate and reflected broader media interpretations of his statements. The Supreme Court’s refusal to hear the case preserves the existing legal framework for defamation claims involving public figures, which critics argue protects media outlets from frivolous lawsuits while defenders say it safeguards free speech.