The Dangerous Man Chael Sonnen is in sizzling water. A federal courtroom has dominated {that a} defamation lawsuit filed by Arlene Delgado, a former senior advisor to Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential marketing campaign, towards retired blended martial artist Chael Sonnen can proceed. Delgado alleges that Sonnen made false and damaging claims about her throughout a March 2023 episode of the podcast Flagrant. The courtroom discovered enough grounds for a few of her claims to maneuver ahead, rejecting Sonnen’s movement to dismiss.
Trump Advisor’s Defamation Battle: Court docket Greenlights Lawsuit Towards UFC Star Chael Sonnen
Arlene Delgado claims that Chael Sonnen falsely accused her of mendacity about her instructional background {and professional} credentials, together with attending Harvard Regulation Faculty. He additionally alleged that she had stalked him to the extent that the UFC banned her from its venues. On the podcast, Sonnen referred to Delgado as a “phony” and claimed he had warned Trump’s workforce about her alleged misrepresentations.
The courtroom decided that Sonnen’s statements might moderately be interpreted as factual and defamatory. Whereas Chael Sonnen argued that the podcast’s comedic tone meant his remarks shouldn’t be taken severely, the courtroom famous that his supply was severe and could lead on listeners to consider his claims.
“A President of the USA, of their absolute interior circle, had a phony, and I knew the phony. And I knew the phony as a result of the phony had come after me and it bought all the way in which to the chief authorized officer of the Final Preventing Championship that needed to put a discover at each venue that we went to, to ban this one who was stalking me, and that individual was on the interior circle of a President [elect] of the USA.
“So I’ve to succeed in to the president, of which I don’t know, to allow them to know that this human being shouldn’t be who they’re claiming they’re, and so they’re on the point of set you up. To not point out, you’re going to appear to be a idiot when it comes out that this individual shouldn’t be named, doesn’t have the title, and didn’t go to the varsity that you just’re operating round Hannity and Colmes and telling them that they’re. And I did. I bought it to the president who eliminated this individual”
The courtroom additionally discovered believable proof of “precise malice,” that means Sonnen could have knowingly made false statements or acted with reckless disregard for the reality. This included proof that Sonnen had beforehand referred to Delgado as “Harvard” throughout their interactions.
The courtroom famous that Delgado is taken into account a “restricted function public determine” as a consequence of her high-profile function in Trump’s marketing campaign and media appearances. This designation means she should show precise malice, exhibiting that Sonnen knowingly made false statements or acted recklessly, to be able to prevail in her lawsuit.
