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Ciara O'Rourke
By Ciara O'Rourke December 1, 2021

No, Kyle Rittenhouse didn’t sue CNN for $400 million

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  • While some supporters have suggested Kyle Rittenhouse should sue media organizations for defamation, his lawyer said no such legal action has been taken. 
 

In the wake of Kyle Rittenhouse’s acquittal in a fatal shooting in Kenosha, Wis., in 2020, some of the teenager’s supporters are sharing triumphant headlines about him suing news organizations and commenters. 

We’ve checked one such claim and it’s wrong — Rittenhouse didn’t file a $60 million lawsuit against Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg, co-hosts of "The View."

Another post spreading online claims that "Kyle Rittenhouse files $400 million suit against CNN!"

But that’s also incorrect.

This post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)

While some high-profile people have suggested that Rittenhouse sue members of the media for defamation in connection with how they covered the shooting and characterized his role in it, David Hancock, a spokesperson for the Rittenhouse family, told the Associated Press it’s not true that Rittenhouse sued CNN. 

"The Rittenhouse team, Kyle and the rest of his lawyers have not filed any legal actions against any organizations or any person in particular," he said. 

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Rittenhouse has floated the possibility of an eventual lawsuit. During an interview with Fox News’ Tucker Carlson on Nov. 22, Carlson asked Rittenhuose about asked if he planned on "holding some of these liars to account."

"I have really good lawyers who are taking care of that right now," Rittenhouse said. "So I’m hoping one day there will be accountability for their actions that they did." 

But it’s not true that he’s filed a $400 million lawsuit against CNN. 

We rate that claim False.

 

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No, Kyle Rittenhouse didn’t sue CNN for $400 million

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