Skip to main content

Judge allows James Woods to sue his anonymous Twitter abuser

The Internet makes many feel like they are untouchable. And sharing the same social networks with celebrities and public figures gives us unprecedented access to them. Some users, however, misuse the likes of Twitter and Facebook to attack and abuse people they’ve never even met.

An ongoing legal dispute between actor James Woods and a pseudonymous Twitter user could change all that by removing the shield of anonymity that online trolls hide behind.

Recommended Videos

The Oscar-nominated star of Salvador and The Hard Way is currently pursuing a defamation lawsuit against a Twitter user who Woods claims has been calling him a “cocaine addict.”

Woods did not take kindly to the comment. Not only does the actor want to expose his abuser’s identity, he is also also seeking $10 million worth of damages.

The accused — who has thus far maintained his anonymity by sending a lawyer to court on his behalf — goes by the name of Abe List (@abelisted) online, reports The New York Times. Meanwhile, Twitter has declined to identify the individual to Woods’ lawyers on the basis of the First Amendment.

That could all potentially change now that presiding Judge Mel Recana has denied a motion filed by Abe List’s lawyers this week to strike the case. Consequently, Woods now has the go-ahead to continue with the lawsuit against Abe List with a view to unmasking his identity.

Woods himself is an extremely outspoken Twitter user, often using the platform to disseminate his conservative views on topics ranging from Barack Obama to Planned Parenthood.

Woods’ statements concerning the latter were central to the statement that kicked off the dispute between the two parties. Back in July 2015, Woods tweeted: “USATODAY app features Bruce Jenner’s latest dress selection, but makes zero mention of Planned Parenthood baby parts market.” To which List reportedly replied: “cocaine addict James Woods still sniffing and spouting.”

List’s tweeted response is now pivotal to the case. Woods’ lawyers have submitted a declaration from a linguistics professor at the University of Southern California who determined that most readers of “cocaine addict” would understand and interpret it to be a factual statement. Despite claims to the contrary from List’s attorneys — who insist that the tweet in question was not “meant to be taken literally” — the latest motion means that the defamation lawsuit can continue unabated.

In an ironic turn of events, List has set his Twitter account to private fearing online abuse as a result of the highly publicized case. Reports indicate that List is a Harvard-educated partner at an L.A.-based private equity firm.

“The cruelty of having one’s reputation sullied by an anonymous coward is agonizing,” Mr. Woods said in a statement provided by his lawyer. “Twitter users beware: You are not above the law.”

Saqib Shah
Saqib Shah is a Twitter addict and film fan with an obsessive interest in pop culture trends. In his spare time he can be…
Bluesky finally adds a feature many had been waiting for
A blue sky with clouds.

Bluesky has been making a lot of progress in recent months by simplifying the process to sign up while at the same time rolling out a steady stream of new features.

As part of those continuing efforts, the social media app has just announced that users can now send direct messages (DMs).

Read more
Reddit just achieved something for the first time in its 20-year history
The Reddit logo.

Reddit’s on a roll. The social media platform has just turned a profit for the first time in its 20-year history, and now boasts a record 97.2 million daily active users, marking a year-over-year increase of 47%. A few times during the quarter, the figure topped 100 million, which Reddit CEO and co-founder Steve Huffman said in a letter to shareholders had been a “long-standing milestone” for the site.

The company, which went public in March, announced the news in its third-quarter earnings results on Tuesday.

Read more
Worried about the TikTok ban? This is how it might look on your phone
TikTok splash screen on an Android phone.

The US Supreme Court has decided to uphold a law that would see TikTok banned in the country on January 19. Now, the platform has issued an official statement, confirming that it will indeed shut down unless it gets some emergency relief from the outgoing president.

“Unless the Biden Administration immediately provides a definitive statement to satisfy the most critical service providers assuring non-enforcement, unfortunately TikTok will be forced to go dark on January 19,” said the company soon after the court’s verdict.
So, what does going dark mean?
So, far, there is no official statement on what exactly TikTok means by “going dark.” There is a lot of speculation out there on how exactly the app or website will look once TikTok shutters in the US.

Read more