Kyle Rittenhouse $110 Million Defamation Suit Against LeBron James Gets Green Light From Federal Magistrate? Fact Check

A viral claim suggesting that Kyle Rittenhouse has received an approval to file a $110 million defamation suit against LeBron James is found to be fake. The viral report stemmed from a satire piece published on Potatriots Unite.

Rittenhouse had shot and killed Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber and injured Gaige Grosskreutz during the protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin on Aug. 25 last year. On Nov 19, the court acquitted him of all charges including homicide, attempted homicide and reckless endangerment.

Rittenhouse's Defamation Suit Gets Magistrate's Approval

The article headlined, "Federal Magistrate Approves Kyle Rittenhouse's $110 Million Defamation Suit Against LeBron James," published on Potatriots Unite , claimed that Rittenhouse has received a go ahead from a federal magistrate to file the suit from anywhere in the country.

"When Kyle Rittenhouse said he was going to sue LeBron James, "The King" responded by laughing and saying no judge in Cleveland would side with the little "white supremacist." Kyle, in return, apparently asked his lawyers to file in federal court.....The Rittenhouse suit is satisfied because Kyle wasn't in Cleveland, nor was he a resident of Cleveland, or Kenosha, when the alleged incident of white supremacy occurred," read the article.

"So the magistrate, the Honorable Joe Barron of the 7th Federal Court of Writs and Warrants, has stamped the case, greenlighting it to be filed anywhere in the country. According to Kyle's lawyer, they plan to file it in one federal court in each state, just to be safe," the article claimed further.

Here is the Truth

Potatriots Unite, which claims itself to be a satire website, had earlier published a misleading article claiming that Rittenhouse and his mother have filed a $60 million defamation lawsuit against The View stars Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg.

The Lakers star got embroiled in the Rittenhouse controversy after he mocked the teenager for breaking down on the stand during his trial. In a tweet, James posted a series of laughing emojis while sharing the footage of Rittenhouse breaking into sobs. "What tears????? I didn't see one. Man knock it off! That boy ate some lemon heads before walking into court," the Los Angeles baller tweeted, prompting backlash.

Debunking the claim, Lead Stories, a fact checking outlet, claimed that Rittenhouse did not file a defamation lawsuit against James.

"Lead Stories did not find any evidence of a magistrate judge named "Joe Barron" as the article stated, nor is there a "7th Federal Court of Writs and Warrants," it claimed further.