Kevin O’Leary and Fox News face a defamation lawsuit tied to comments about opposition to his proposed Utah data center. According to multiple reports, O’Leary claimed that the group opposing the project was funded by Chinese money. The plaintiffs—identified in one account as entities and individuals including Alliance for a Better Utah, Elevate Strategies, and supporters such as Gabrielle Finlayson, Taylor Knuth, and Josh Kanter—say the statements were false and caused harm.
The lawsuit alleges that O’Leary’s portrayal of the opposition as being backed by China, and Fox News’ role in airing the claims, led to “significant economic losses,” “severe emotional distress,” and ongoing threats to the plaintiffs’ physical safety. The plaintiffs argue the comments contributed to real-world consequences for people and groups involved in opposing the data center.
The reports describe the case as focusing on alleged defamatory statements and their alleged downstream effects, rather than on the merits of the data center project itself.
