Jesse Ventura wins $1.84M in defamation suit v. Chris Kyle

[williamkevin]

Made worse by the fact that it is Kyle's estate that has to pay up (as in his widow). I think it is reprehensible that a former SEAL would go after a brother in this manner to begin with. Ventura is a dirtbag of the first order, and a greedy one at that. Makes me sick!

Well insurance will be paying for a good part of it and if I remember right Kyle wasn't going to keep any of the money for the book anyway. His widow has said or it has been reported that the only reason she hasn't been donating the money is so she'll still have it if they lost so it's not anything out of her pocket. Heck if Kyle hadn't lied and used the story he wouldn't of sold nearly as much. If it makes you sad that JV would go after someone who lied and used him, then how do you feel about someone who lied about a brother team member, because JV wasn't a seal he was UDT, to sell a book? How greedy does that look? I don't even like JV but .....

EE, Jackanapes Vagabond runs around telling everyone he was a seal, but according to his DD-214 he was never a seal and passed only the BASIC UDT course not sure about the fight or not, but I can check with some people I know that bark for a living and see what they say. I believe the Kyle Story more than JV's gaseous discharge

Interesting debate about weather or not he was a real SEAL. I don't know where the line is drawn, but here is an article about this specifically written by Brandon Webb:
http://sofrep.com/36086/truth-jesse-ven ... al-status/

Everyone has their own opinion on this, and this one is Brandon's.

[The Annoyed Man]

Kyle wrote that JV said that he hated America, that America was murdering people, and that the Seals deserved to lose a few. Now I don't want to say anything negative about Kyle but it just doesn't pass the sniff test for a number of reasons and Kyle used that anecdote to push his book. He made money off what 8 jurors believe was a fabrication. Now JV has come off as a bit of a nut with his conspiracy theory stuff and his strange comments but having Kyle, whom many people rightly admire, trash him with what is reportedly a false story has done quite a bit of damage to his reputation and is ability to make a living. If it was true then JV deserves some money, most of which, since he is paying hourly for his legal fees , will most likely go to his lawyers.

I'd point out that the profits from the book went to benefit Wounded Warriors and other veterans groups, not so much to line Chris Kyle's pockets. After a Navy career lasting 10 years (1999-2009), Kyle was hardly a millionaire......UNLIKE the dirtbag that sued his estate.....so really, Ventura is suing a widow of limited resources, and wiping out any future proceeds from the book that would have gone to veterans groups.

I think those tights Ventura wore in the ring cut off the blood supply to his nether regions, and he's been compensating for the loss ever since.

[EEllis]

Made worse by the fact that it is Kyle's estate that has to pay up (as in his widow). I think it is reprehensible that a former SEAL would go after a brother in this manner to begin with. Ventura is a dirtbag of the first order, and a greedy one at that. Makes me sick!

Well insurance will be paying for a good part of it and if I remember right Kyle wasn't going to keep any of the money for the book anyway. His widow has said or it has been reported that the only reason she hasn't been donating the money is so she'll still have it if they lost so it's not anything out of her pocket. Heck if Kyle hadn't lied and used the story he wouldn't of sold nearly as much. If it makes you sad that JV would go after someone who lied and used him, then how do you feel about someone who lied about a brother team member, because JV wasn't a seal he was UDT, to sell a book? How greedy does that look? I don't even like JV but .....

EE, Jackanapes Vagabond runs around telling everyone he was a seal, but according to his DD-214 he was never a seal and passed only the BASIC UDT course not sure about the fight or not, but I can check with some people I know that bark for a living and see what they say. I believe the Kyle Story more than JV's gaseous discharge

Yep I believe he was a UDT but I wouldn't say just. I still think, on so do at least 8 out of 10 jurors, that Kyle lied. The bar they were at was a seal bar which includes UDT which can call themselves part of the Teams. The owner was a trainer of JV's and he, was there, JV I mean, for a teams reunion or something. In that environment JV was supposed to of said that he thought the Seals should lose a few? I think it sounds fishy. When you add the deposition from Kyle where he admired that the scene in the book was inaccurate, that his witnesses all where drunk and had different stories, that the jurors heard all the info and have come down convincingly on JV's side when the burden of proof is extremely high. Well believe what you want but it's not logic that you are using to decide anything.

[EEllis]

Kyle wrote that JV said that he hated America, that America was murdering people, and that the Seals deserved to lose a few. Now I don't want to say anything negative about Kyle but it just doesn't pass the sniff test for a number of reasons and Kyle used that anecdote to push his book. He made money off what 8 jurors believe was a fabrication. Now JV has come off as a bit of a nut with his conspiracy theory stuff and his strange comments but having Kyle, whom many people rightly admire, trash him with what is reportedly a false story has done quite a bit of damage to his reputation and is ability to make a living. If it was true then JV deserves some money, most of which, since he is paying hourly for his legal fees , will most likely go to his lawyers.

I'd point out that the profits from the book went to benefit Wounded Warriors and other veterans groups, not so much to line Chris Kyle's pockets. After a Navy career lasting 10 years (1999-2009), Kyle was hardly a millionaire......UNLIKE the dirtbag that sued his estate.....so really, Ventura is suing a widow of limited resources, and wiping out any future proceeds from the book that would have gone to veterans groups.

I think those tights Ventura wore in the ring cut off the blood supply to his nether regions, and he's been compensating for the loss ever since.

Actually no they didn't. 2 payments of 52,000 each were made but that's it. One article I read said that it wouldn't be smart for any more to be given away after JV filed his suit in case he won so I don't hold that against anyone but No all the money hasn't been donated from sales of the book or from selling the movie rights. Now what I read may be wrong but ....

[Jim Beaux]

With respect to the verdict I initially thought Kyle may have taken liberties with the truth and "fluffed the facts" to promote the book. I didnt think JV would say what Kyle alleged.....but in hindsight....well, just maybe.

Consider that JV says outlandish things. He likes to shock, and he likes to showboat. He also makes abrasive "in your face" type statements. He is a showboat with questionable judgement. Now in reflection I cant say he wouldnt have made such a statement.

Sure, the debate is over, it's academic now. The verdict proved he had a case; but continuing this action against Kyle's widow certainly shows he lacks the grace and character that would have tempered the remarks he is said to have made.

Our grace and character governs the "just because we can doesnt mean we should" & JV sold his reputation cheap. After this there will never be doubts about who he is.

[Cedar Park Dad]

Moral of the story, don't slander and libel someone who has a good lawyer.

[talltex]

He won.

Why?

Minnesota ex governor and Minnesota jury. Nuff said

I'm not a Ventura fan, but I can't really buy that explanation...I doubt that 75% of the population in Minnesota is so fond of Jesse Ventura that they would base their verdict just on those feelings rather than the evidence and testimony they heard. I'd be MORE inclined to believe it if the vote was the other way...lol. None of us heard or saw what the jury did, but evidently, what they saw and heard convinced them there was merit to the libel claim. Keep in mind that "truth" is an affirmative defense to libel/slander...meaning that if you can show that what you said, was in fact true, then you cannot be charged with libel. The charge made it past judicial review to get to the actual jury trial, indicating that the defense for Kyle's estate was unable to prove the truth of the statements Kyle made regarding Ventura in the Judge's opinion. The jury seems to have felt the way, and if that was what they believed the evidence showed, then I can't fault them for their verdict, regardless of my opinion of Ventura.

[EEllis]

Kyle wrote that JV said that he hated America, that America was murdering people, and that the Seals deserved to lose a few. Now I don't want to say anything negative about Kyle but it just doesn't pass the sniff test for a number of reasons and Kyle used that anecdote to push his book. He made money off what 8 jurors believe was a fabrication. Now JV has come off as a bit of a nut with his conspiracy theory stuff and his strange comments but having Kyle, whom many people rightly admire, trash him with what is reportedly a false story has done quite a bit of damage to his reputation and is ability to make a living. If it was true then JV deserves some money, most of which, since he is paying hourly for his legal fees , will most likely go to his lawyers.

I'd point out that the profits from the book went to benefit Wounded Warriors and other veterans groups, not so much to line Chris Kyle's pockets. After a Navy career lasting 10 years (1999-2009), Kyle was hardly a millionaire......UNLIKE the dirtbag that sued his estate.....so really, Ventura is suing a widow of limited resources, and wiping out any future proceeds from the book that would have gone to veterans groups.

I think those tights Ventura wore in the ring cut off the blood supply to his nether regions, and he's been compensating for the loss ever since.

So I checked some more into that claim that all the money was donated.

And now for the kicker: It isn’t true. Out of the staggering $3 million that American Sniper collected in royalties for Kyle, only $52,000 actually went to the families of fallen servicemen. (Rather than 100 percent of the proceeds, as the public was led to believe, try 2 percent!) While Kyle’s widow claimed, in her testimony, that they never intended to profit from the book, and “wanted” to donate the money to other veterans, she said they were weren’t able to because of — get this! — “gift-tax laws that prevented them from donating more than $13,000 each to two families last year.”

When Ventura’s attorney asked why they did not simply create a nonprofit (standard practice) to be able to give away the money without gift-tax concerns, Kyle said she had not had the time to set up such a nonprofit.

So we are talking about just over 1/3 of the profit since there is insurance that will pay some. That doesn't include the movie money that will be coming in and then there are the other revenue streams which are pretty good in their own right. Din't Glen Beck raise $800,000 for the widow? Yeah JV is going to leave her broke.

So they fibbed about the JV incident and Fibbed a bit about the charity then there is the whole Superdome thing not to mention the car jacking that no one ever heard about.....

[mamabearCali]

If everyone and everything JV ever lied about came after his sorry tail his pants might be the only thing left to him. Let's say he was lied about that just makes this a case of he can dish it but he can't take it. He opens his mouth and all sorts of baloney flies out. Someone else maybe fibs a bit about him and he sues for millions. The thing is I have heard him on TV shows say nearly the same thing he is alleged to have said to the seal, so I really don't see where anyone has defamed him worse than he had already done. What a jack wagon.

[baldeagle]

Interesting debate about weather or not he was a real SEAL. I don't know where the line is drawn, but here is an article about this specifically written by Brandon Webb:
http://sofrep.com/36086/truth-jesse-ven ... al-status/

Everyone has their own opinion on this, and this one is Brandon's.

It isn't an opinion. Brandon is correct. He graduated from BUD/S. He's a SEAL. He's a dirtbag too, but he's a SEAL. Just like John McCain, who served honorably and endured torture as a POW but now makes a complete ass of himself, Jesse went from being an honorable veteran to a dirtbag.

It happens sometimes. He should still be honored for his service but criticized for his jerkwad behavior now. Being a veteran doesn't exempt you from legitimate criticism.

[williamkevin]

Interesting debate about weather or not he was a real SEAL. I don't know where the line is drawn, but here is an article about this specifically written by Brandon Webb:
http://sofrep.com/36086/truth-jesse-ven ... al-status/

Everyone has their own opinion on this, and this one is Brandon's.

It isn't an opinion. Brandon is correct. He graduated from BUD/S. He's a SEAL. He's a dirtbag too, but he's a SEAL. Just like John McCain, who served honorably and endured torture as a POW but now makes a complete ass of himself, Jesse went from being an honorable veteran to a dirtbag.

It happens sometimes. He should still be honored for his service but criticized for his jerkwad behavior now. Being a veteran doesn't exempt you from legitimate criticism.

Agree on all points. I think what chaps my behind in all this is why these two couldn't take their differences out behind the team room and settle it like SEALs.

[baldeagle]

I will say this about Kyle's claim. According to him they were at "a SEAL bar". There should be witnesses to the altercation that can confirm or refute his claims of what Jesse said and of knocking Jesse down. Why those witnesses were not produced at trial is a legitimate question. Perhaps SEALs didn't want to get in between a battle between two fellow SEALs. Who knows?

Regardless of whether or not the altercation ever took place, Jesse never should have sued. Doing so, and winning at trial, has done a great deal more damage than anything Kyle did or didn't do. And Jesse will be stuck with that for the rest of his days.

[Jim Beaux]

???

The ‘unverifiable’ legacy of Chris Kyle, the deadliest sniper in American history

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morn ... ?tid=hp_mm

[JP171]

Interesting debate about weather or not he was a real SEAL. I don't know where the line is drawn, but here is an article about this specifically written by Brandon Webb:
http://sofrep.com/36086/truth-jesse-ven ... al-status/

Everyone has their own opinion on this, and this one is Brandon's.

It isn't an opinion. Brandon is correct. He graduated from BUD/S. He's a SEAL. He's a dirtbag too, but he's a SEAL. Just like John McCain, who served honorably and endured torture as a POW but now makes a complete ass of himself, Jesse went from being an honorable veteran to a dirtbag.

It happens sometimes. He should still be honored for his service but criticized for his jerkwad behavior now. Being a veteran doesn't exempt you from legitimate criticism.

JV the JACKANPES DID NOT complete SEAL training, he completed the BASIC UNDER WATER DEMOLITION TECHNICIAN course, there is a lot more to being a SEAL than blowing stuff up, the little wench did NOT complete Jump School(he failed), he did NOT complete Air Assault school(didn't get past the arch), he did NOT complete or even enter Ranger Q course. THE JACKANAPES IS NOT A SEAL he is a Under water Demolition Technician BASIC level. same as not every muncher LEG is an Airborne Ranger nor a Special Forces Operator. Anyone that thinks different doesn't know the SEAL Q Course nor the SF Q Course nor anything about OPERATORS in the SOC period, don't like that, hmmm well. and YES I have been there done that got the T-shirt and patch, crossed arrows