Courtney Love jury trial over alleged defamatory tweet set to begin
Controversial American rock star Courtney Love is set to begin a trial by jury on Monday in the US over a tweet that allegedly defamed her former lawyer who handled a fraud case against the estate of her late husband, Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain.
Trial: Courtney Love's tweet will go in front of a jury
A court decided last month that the case brought by Rhonda J. Holmes must be decided by a jury and set a trial date for 13 January. According to Holmes, Love – who currently has more than 250,000 followers on Twitter - accused her of bribery via a tweet on the social network in 2010. Love, former frontwoman for the bane Hole, hired Holmes in 2008 to pursue a fraud case against those handling Cobain’s estate.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Holmes’ attorney, Mitchell Langberg, said: “Our client looks forward to getting before a jury. Just because you have printing press in pocket via Twitter, you don’t get to say whatever you want.”
The case is not the first time Love has found herself in hot water over comments made on Twitter. In 2011, she was sued by designer Dawn Simorangkir for defamation and was ordered to pay out $430,000.