According to information from the website Courthouse News Service, Bobby Kotick, the former CEO of Activision Blizzard, filed a lawsuit against two news sites on March 11. In reports from Gizmodo and Kotaku, he feels misrepresented. The articles discuss his alleged interest in buying TikTok. According to Kotick, the articles misrepresent his role in the 2021 Blizzard sexism scandal.
What is known about the lawsuit? The site “Courthouse News” reported on March 13 that Bobby Kotick feels defamed by two news reports from March 2024 and is suing the sites.
It indirectly concerns the portrayal of his time as head of Activision Blizzard, during which a California agency raised allegations against the gaming company, claiming there was sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace.
In December 2023, the dispute was settled. Activision Blizzard reached an agreement with the agency for a payment of $54 million, but denied any wrongdoing. From Kotick’s perspective, four months later, on a completely different topic, these allegations should no longer have been reported in that manner.
Bobby Kotick feels maliciously misrepresented
This bothers Kotick: Kotick is said to be upset that in March 2024, after the settlement, two articles appeared regarding his alleged interest in buying the platform TikTok. One article was published on Gizmodo, the other on Kotaku. Both sites were then part of G/O Media – Gizmodo has since been sold.
Kotick is quoted saying:
Neither of the two articles had anything to do with Activision. Both discussed rumors that Kotick was interested in purchasing TikTok. Nevertheless, Kotaku and Gizmodo spared no effort to make retracted, false claims regarding workplace issues, of which G/O Media knew had been conclusively disproven by numerous investigations… solely for the malicious purpose of causing Kotick further harm.
According to Kotick, both media outlets took extra time to write false accusations against him in the articles, which had already been disproven. This was done out of “pure malice” to harm Kotick.
As Kotaku reports, Kotick demanded media companies to correct the articles and also change the headline in which Kotick was referred to as “disgraced.”
The articles were also adjusted; nevertheless, Kotick is now suing.
How were the articles adjusted? In the article from Kotaku, it is stated that the article was adjusted on April 1 to more closely address the settlement and that Activision Blizzard denies having done anything wrong.
What does Kotick demand? He demands damages to be determined by the court.
Hulk Hogan sued media company back then into ruin
What does this remind us of? In 2013, professional wrestler Hulk Hogan (real name Terry Gene Bollea), with the support of Peter Thiel, sued the media company Gawker, which at that time also included Kotaku. He sought $100 million in damages and was awarded $140 million.
Three months later, Gawker filed for bankruptcy. Afterward, Gawker had to pay an additional $31 million to Hulk Hogan.
The lawsuit concerned a video that showed Hulk Hogan having sex with the wife of a radio host. Hogan testified in court that the video was recorded without his knowledge or consent. Kotick’s departure from his position as head at Activision Blizzard was covered by us in December 2023 on MeinMMO: The boss Bobby Kotick leaves Blizzard – “Finally, he is gone,” says the community
