FBI Director Patel’s Girlfriend Sues MS Now for Defamation (1)

Alexis Wilkins, a country music artist and the girlfriend of FBI Director Kash Patel, sued MS Now and two of its reporters over an article she claims is a “hit piece” that falsely portrayed her as abusing taxpayer resources through her relationship with the director.

A story MS Now published on its website last December claiming Wilkins and Patel demanded—at least twice—that federal agents escort her allegedly inebriated friend home after a night of partying in Nashville is “entirely false,” Wilkins said in a complaint filed May 29 in the US District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee.

Wilkins said the outlet knowingly published lies intending to harm Wilkins “due to their clear animus toward her” as an ally and advocate for President Donald Trump and Patel.

Patel has separately filed a defamation suit against The Atlantic over a story alleging excessive drinking and unexplained absences. Patel has also faced criticism for using government jets to visit Wilkins.

The MS Now story cites “sham” anonymous sources to push knowingly false allegations, Wilkins alleges, claiming that neither she nor Patel have ever asked federal agents to escort any of her friends home. Wilkins also argued in her complaint the article falsely portrays her as a heavy drinker even though MS Now knew she doesn’t drink.

Wilkins argues that MS Now knew the story’s claims were false because she didn’t even have a security detail at the time the incidents allegedly took place. The story states that federal agents were asked to take one of Wilkins’ friends home last spring, but Wilkins asserts that isn’t possible because she didn’t have a security detail at the time. The complaint points to MS Now’s reporting from November breaking the news that she was being provided protection due to death threats.

The article also falsely implied that the FBI “made only a reflexive and broad denial” and refused to answer questions, Wilkins claims. The outlet also allegedly didn’t disclose the spring timeframe to an FBI spokesperson in the inquiry because the FBI “would have even more conclusively refuted the story” by pointing out that she lacked a security detail at the time, which would “derail their desired narrative,” the complaint says.

The complaint asserts counts of defamation and false light invasion of privacy. Wilkins is seeking damages of at least $75,000.

MS Now President Rebecca Kutler said in a statement to Bloomberg Law that the outlet doesn’t comment on pending litigation, but “we stand firmly behind MS NOW’s reporting.”

Waterford Law Group PLLC and Binnall Law Group PLLC represent Wilkins.

The case is Wilkins v. Versant Media Grp. Inc., M.D. Tenn., No. 3:26-cv-00725, complaint filed 5/29/26.