A lawsuit filed last year accusing Phoebe Bridgers of defamation has been dismissed.
According to MyNewsLA, Judge Curtis A. Kin ruled on Wednesday that the singer-songwriter was protected by free speech.
Los Angeles music producer Chris Nelson had alleged that the Bridgers made false and malicious statements about him on Instagram “in order to destroy his reputation.” He sought at least $3.8 million U.S. in damages.
Nelson and Bridgers did not work together but he claimed he and then-girlfriend Emily Bannon had “consensual sexual encounters” with Bridgers dating back to 2018. Nelson said after he and Bannon split, Bridgers continued to have a relationship with her.
Nelson alleged that Bridgers accused him of theft and fraud in a 2020 Instagram post and directed her followers to Bannon’s Instagram account, where he was accused of racially motivated violence, hate crimes, fraud, robbery and hacking women’s email accounts.
Bridgers countered, in a sworn statement filed with the court in February, that she believed her statements about Nelson were true. “My statements were made based on my personal knowledge, including statements I personally heard Mr. Nelson make, as well as my own observations,” she said. “I continue to believe the statements that I made were true.”
In a statement to Pitchfork, Bridgers rep said the singer feels vindicated “that the Court recognized this lawsuit as frivolous and without merit.”
Lawyers for Nelson have not responded publicly to the dismissal.