DJ AM Blasts NY Daily News
Nicole Richie’s former fiance, DJ AM, is suing the NY Daily News for libel and false-light invasion of privacy. Represented by the same firm as Rob Lowe in Nanny Gate 2008, DJ AM claims that a June 22 article detailing his purported lack of work and wages is false.
The NY Daily News reported:
- “AM hit the big time in 2003 when he and Nicole Richie first hooked up, and his involvement in a celebrity couple earned him big dollars. By the time the two split in 2006, he was commanding six-figure salaries for a single gig.”
- “These days, Goldstein has no famous girlfriend to help build his brand and won’t even talk about Nicole with reporters. That has lowered his stock to the point where, club owners say, he now gets a much smaller fee per gig.”
- “Promoters in Miami, where AM used to sell out megaclubs Mansion and Privé, say they barely use him anymore. And you won’t see him in the Hamptons this summer, even though he has been a staple at events.”
- “‘He has gone from making major bank and playing these huge club parties to doing private corporate events,’ says one booker who regularly uses Richie’s ex.”
DJ AM seeks at least $10 million in damages and says, among other things:
- “The statements in the Article are false. DJ AM’s career continues to thrive.
- “[H]ad Defendants even bothered to conduct even a cursory review of his MySpace.com web page, the would have instantly discovered that he continues to be employed by major nightclubs nationwide, including at the very cities and venues the Article alleges he has been unable to obtain steady employment.”
- “DJ AM’s rates have steadily increased over the years.”
Popsquire’s perspective…
Although most celebrity defamation and libel lawsuits can be difficult to win, DJ AM may have a strong case here. Publishing false statements about a person’s earnings or career trajectory generally is a big legal risk for publications, compared to statements about pregnancies or break-ups.
The NY Daily News better have its ducks in a row!
