Can I Sue A Social Media Influencer For Defamation And Dragging My Name To Generate Content, Follower Engagement, And To Harm My Business?
My background: I'm an Appalachian Trail hiker shuttle in Virginia and a trail maintainer for a large non-profit hiking club.
The 1st issue: A popular social media hiking influencer has a history of dragging followers for content. Long story shot - in July, I responded to a racist comment on his page with factual information about the long term effects of segregation, and then he blocked me. OK, fine. Afterwards, he continued to drag me, and then filed a complaint with my trail club trying to get me kicked out of my trail maintenance duties. Influencer said that he filed a police report against me and that I made threats against him. None of that is true. However, I had to defend myself and provide evidence with the higher ups in my trail club, and the ATC. They quickly dismissed the influencers complaint.
the second issue: Last night I was made aware that the influencer continued to generate content dragging me by compounding lie after lie in order to create content, follower engagement, and what appears to be an attempt to harm my shuttle business and trail club as he names both in his posts. In three recent social media posts the influencer claims that I
- made up stories about him
- "threatened him and his family"
- that he had to get police involved twice about me.
- that I contacted his friends and followers
- that I contacted his sponsors to hurt his popularity
- that I told him that his "dead son would be ashamed of having a racist pos like him for a father"
He then posted another last night basically calling me crazy and then naming me once again as his followers comments were are directed at me and using my name like I'm some punching bag. The influencer has basically created this narrative about me as like a sort of ongoing theme on his page.
I want him to stop using me for content on his page and I want him to stop dragging my shuttle business. Can I sue him if he continues to do this?
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