WASHINGTON 鈥� Washington Nationals infielder Ryan Zimmerman filed a lawsuit against Al Jazeera America聽Tuesday for defamation after the television network’s聽report that claims he used performance-enhancing drug.
In a suit filed in D.C. District Court Tuesday, Zimmerman聽claimed the network used 鈥渙utrageously false and defamatory statements鈥� that injured his public image and reputation. The suit files on counts of libel and false light invasion of privacy, and demands both a retraction and a jury trial.
The suit claims that all of the statements concerning Zimmerman’s performance-enhancing drug use are categorically untrue, and that he 鈥渉as never taken Delta 2, human growth hormone, or any other steroid or performance-enhancing substance banned by the MLB.鈥�
Zimmerman鈥檚 counsel cites a cease-and-desist order issued to the network on Dec. 23, and again on Dec. 26.
The suit calls the source is聽Al Jazeera’s report into question, too. It says聽Charles Sly鈥檚 secretly videotaped statements regarding Zimmerman are 鈥渟candalous and untrue,鈥� and claimed the network 鈥渃hose to publish their defamatory story in an attempt to stir scandal and increase Al Jazeera鈥檚 low ratings, no matter the cost to Mr. Zimmerman.鈥�
It also calls Liam Collins, the runner who went undercover in the documentary, 鈥渁 known fraudster and publicity-seeker.鈥�
The suit was filed on behalf of Zimmerman by Scott E. Lerner of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP.
Al Jazeera America did not have a comment on the lawsuit.
Read the entire suit below.
