$55 million defamation lawsuit filed last year by Star against New York City Council Member John Liu denied.
Troi (Star) Torain’s, fate was sealed when he ranted and raved about competing station host Raashaun Casey from Hot 97. Star made inappropriate sexual remarks about Casey’s wife and begged any listener to call him and let him know what school Casey’s 4 year old daughter went to. Many listeners as well as industry decision makers thought Star had reached an all time low during this rant and he was soon after terminated. Shortly thereafter, Liu publicly insulted Star during a press conferences and interviews referring to him as a “pedophile” and a “lunatic” who should be “terminated from the face of the earth,” Star then filed a lawsuit for, of ALL things… “defamation of character.” The judge felt Liu’s remarks could not be seen as factual by most listeners and viewers. This is unfortunate for Star as it’s almost identical to the reason he was fired, defaming someones character. Since the listeners were, unlike Liu, so accustomed to Star’s rants and raves, could HIS statements be taken seriously? The judge continued.. “No reasonable person would have believed Liu was conveying a fact about plaintiff being engaged in acts of pedophilia rather than defendant’s opinion,” Some industry people feel there is as double standard here, even for Star. Publicly calling someone a pedophile without proof, even Star, is a VERY serious allegation yet Star’s infamy may have played a large part in the decision. Liu maintains to date that he does not regret making those comments. Star said he’ll appeal the decision and now intends to pursue his wrongful termination suit against Clear Channel.
