FOX 2 - Lions fan Ryan Kennedy has filed a $100 million lawsuit against Pittsburgh Steelers star DK Metcalf and retired NFL standouts Chad Johnson and Shannon Sharpe's media company, and others.
The backstory:
Kennedy's lawyer Jon Marko announced the suit for defamation, negligence and other claims after Kenney was "branded a racist in national media."
Kennedy, a longtime Lions season ticketholder made national news after coming face-to-face with Metcalf at the Dec. 21 game. After the fan said something to Metcalf, he grabbed him over the railing in a tense altercation.
After DK Metcalf was seen reaching up and grabbing Ryan Kennedy, people started alleging that Kennedy called the player racial slurs – accusations he vehemently denies.
Metcalf was suspended two games at a cost of more than half a million dollars.
Kennedy claims he addressed Metcalf as Dekaylin, his legal first name. After the incident, he was allowed by Ford Field security to continue watching the game.
"It is really hard to get me upset," Kennedy said in a prior press conference, noting that animal abuse and racism are the two things that really upset him.
Kennedy's attorney said those allegations spilled over into the media world where he says Johnson and Sharpe made false accusations during their Nightcap podcast.
"The lawsuit alleges that Johnson, appearing on the widely-viewed ‘Nightcap’ podcast co-hosted by Shannon Sharpe, falsely claimed that Kennedy called Metcalf the ‘N-word’ and referred to Metcalf's mother using a vile misogynistic slur—statements that Kennedy categorically denies and that no video or audio evidence supports," the statement from Marko's office said.
Marko said that the accusations spread like wildfire through the national media - damaging his reputation, leading to death threats and impacting his mortgage company.
"The false allegations, which were republished by major outlets including ESPN, Yahoo Sports, and USA Today, went viral across social media platforms with millions of views, branding Kennedy as a racist on a national scale and subjecting him to death threats, hate mail, and severe damage to his business reputation," Marko said in a statement.
The complaint also alleges that Metcalf physically assaulted Kennedy during the game by reaching into the stands, grabbing him by the shirt collar, and engaging in unwanted physical contact without provocation.
"Despite Kennedy's attorneys sending formal retraction demands to the defendants, none have issued public corrections or clarifications, allowing the false narrative to persist and continue causing harm to Kennedy's personal and professional life."
Kennedy is seeking damages as well as court-ordered public retractions from all defendants to clear his name.
