United States – U.S. President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, last week initiated legal proceedings against Fox News for airing his nude photos and videos and conspiratorial conspiracy theory about his patronizing foreign business deals.
Fox News’ Controversial Broadcast
Hunter Biden claims Fox crossed New York state’s ‘revenge porn’ law that prohibits sharing any sexual images of a person without permission. He is also suing for quantum merit and for intentional infliction of mental harm, as reported by Reuters.
Fox aired “The Trial of Hunter Biden: A Mock Trial for the American People” that aired on the Fox Nation streaming platform in October 2022 but removed the episode following threats of legal action from Biden’s legal team.
Fox News stated that, regarding Hunter Biden and investigations into his conduct, the news platform is shielded by the First Amendment of the US Constitution.
“This lawsuit is purely and clearly of political purpose,” Fox said, stating that the only reason the program was removed was because it was potentially questionable.
Biden’s lawyers have yet to respond to the request for their comments.
The series painted a scenario of presenting Hunter Biden for trial for the charges of unlawful foreign lobbying and bribery, charges he has never faced.
Biden was found guilty of federal gun offenses in June, and his trial for tax fraud is scheduled for next month.
“While using certain true information, the series intentionally manipulates the facts, distorts the truth, narrates happenings out of context, and invents dialogue intended to entertain,” Hunter Biden said in the lawsuit.
Details of the Lawsuit
The videos and photos also contain sexually explicit content of Biden, including parts where he is naked, the lawsuit reveals.
Biden opines that Fox had to have been aware that the images and videos were obtained through hacking or theft and then proceeded to disseminate them for entertainment, which is unlawful under New York’s revenge pornography statute.
Fox canceled the show in April but has not erased reels and clips of the show, as the lawsuit claims remain available on other streaming platforms.
Biden stated that the show had ruined his image irreparably and stressed that he underwent deep emotional suffering, humiliation, and mental anguish. He wants some unspecified general damages and punitive damages.
A Biden was convicted in June for perjury to procure a firearm and being a prohibited possessor of a firearm in Delaware a trial. His lawyers have expressed that he is willing to appeal the decision, as reported by Reuters.
Other Legal Challenges
He is also scheduled to appear in a California court for a trial on September 5 for not paying as little as USD 1.4 million in taxes between 2016 and 2019; at the same time, it is accused of spending millions of dollars on drugs, escorts, exotic cars, and other expenditures for big name items.