Singer Phoebe Bridgers Defeats Defamation Suit Again on Appeal

Indie musician Phoebe Bridgers secured the dismissal of music studio owner Chris Nelson’s defamation lawsuit over her 2020 Instagram post amplifying allegations that he engaged in sexual abuse, theft, and violence.

A panel of justices on California’s Court of Appeal, Second District, in a Wednesday unpublished opinion, upheld an L.A. trial judge’s move to toss the suit.

The “content and context” of Bridgers’ post—which directed her followers to more extensive allegations of grooming, stealing, and violence posted by voice actor Emily Bannon’s page—shows that it’s protected by California’s anti-SLAPP statute, justices said.

“The post related to public concerns, especially ...