Triller's Suit Against Podcasters Over “Troll” Reviews Tossed by Judge – The Hollywood Reporter

Ryan Kavanaugh’s legal feud with a husband-wife podcasting duo isn’t over, but an L.A. judge has found his social video platform Triller can’t pursue claims that they directed fans to tank the app’s ratings via thousands of “troll” reviews. The legal battle started in May 2021 when Triller sued Ethan and Hila Klein alleging they pirated Triller Fight Club’s copyrighted materials on their H3 Podcast — namely a match between influencer-turned-boxer Jake Paul and MMA fighter Ben Askren. That launched an out of court “war,” according to Triller, as part of which the Kleins “instructed their rabid fans — known as ‘foot soldiers’” to leave negative reviews for the Triller app in the Apple and Google Play stores and promoted this “unlawful conspiracy” in a series of YouTube podcast videos and on other sites like Reddit. Triller in July sued the Kleins claiming interference with existing and prospective economic relationships, and separately Kavanaugh in November sued them for defamation. The Kleins in September filed a special motion to strike Triller’s complaint under California’s anti-SLAPP law, which brings an early end to frivolous litigation arising from the exercise of free speech on an issue of public interest. They argued that Kavanaugh’s…
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