A jury in Alabama has awarded former University of Alabama basketball player Kai Spears $9.25 million in damages, ruling that The New York Times defamed him. The lawsuit was initiated after a 2023 Times report, citing an anonymous source, incorrectly stated that Spears was present at the scene of a fatal shooting.
Spears, who was a walk-on player for the Crimson Tide, contended that the newspaper's reporting falsely implicated him in the incident, causing substantial harm to his personal and professional reputation. The verdict marks a significant legal setback for The New York Times, which has historically maintained a strong record in libel cases.
Ex-Alabama Player Awarded $9.25M in Defamation Case Against New York Times
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