Virginia’s Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax sues CBS for USD 400 million

Lieutenant Governor of Virginia Justin Fairfax has sued CBS for USD 400 million after the channel aired interviews of two women who accused him of sexual assault.

Lieutenant Governor of Virginia Justin Fairfax has sued CBS for USD 400 million after the channel aired interviews of two women who accused him of sexual assault.

CBS News anchor Gayle King interviewed the two women Vanessa Tyson and Meredith Watson earlier this year, where they described their encounters with Fairfax.

He denies the encounters were non-consensual.

The lawsuit is filed in federal court in the Eastern District of Virginia. It says Fairfax’s character was defamed and says CBS intentionally inflicted emotional distress on him.

“This defamation suit arises from intentionally fabricated, false, and politically motivated statements made by Meredith Watson and Vanessa Tyson alleging that they were sexually assaulted by Justin Fairfax," the lawsuit says.

"CBS published, promoted, and amplified these false statements during separate interviews with CBS This Morning’s Gayle King broadcast by CBS to a national audience on April 1 and April 2.”

The lawsuit further says, "Following the heavy promotion of the interviews on the CBS network and their airing of the interviews on CBS This Morning, CBS published videos of both interviews and selected clips from each on the CBS News website, cbsnews.com, where the interviews and clips have received millions of views and where they remain, available to be republished, as of the date of this filing.

"Both interviews also have been published and republished by CBS on their social media platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube where they continue to be shared and viewed as of the date of this filing.

"CBS authorizes and consents to the republication of these interviews, without correction, to this day. As a result of CBS’ actions, these defamatory statements have been repeatedly and foreseeably republished by media outlets and other third parties throughout the country."

Fairfax has maintained that his encounters with Tyson and Watson were consensual and has accused both of them to have politically motivated intentions.