A federal judge has dismissed Laura Loomer's defamation lawsuit against Bill Maher, ruling that the comedian's on-air insinuation about her and President Donald Trump was clearly joking and protected speech.
U.S. District Judge James Moody sided with Maher in an 18-page decision Wednesday, finding that a reasonable viewer of HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher" would have understood the September 2024 comment as humor rather than factual assertion. Moody noted the episode aired during a period saturated with public jokes and speculation about Loomer's relationship with Trump.
During the broadcast, Maher referenced an old editorial and said, "I think it might be Laura Loomer," in response to a question about Trump's romantic interests. The comment came shortly after Loomer had been photographed attending a presidential debate and 9/11 memorial with Trump, and after she traveled on his private plane.
In testimony, Maher explained he was riffing on their "sudden closeness in the news that week." He told the court he could have simply shown footage of them together and said "get a room" instead of making the joke, characterizing the entire comment as standard comedy.
Moody also found that Loomer failed to demonstrate any actual harm to her reputation or income. During the trial, Loomer testified that her income actually increased in 2024 compared to previous years. The judge noted that Trump continues to seek her opinions and invite her to the White House, further undercutting claims of reputational damage.
Loomer responded quickly on X, calling the ruling "outrageous" and vowing to appeal to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals and potentially the Supreme Court. She characterized the decision as misogynistic, arguing it was inappropriate for any judge to dismiss an accusation of a sexual affair as merely "a joke."
"The ruling is totally dishonest and misogynistic," she wrote, adding that it went "beyond the pale" for courts to brush aside such accusations based on comedic context.
Loomer has become one of Trump's most visible allies since his first administration, when she was banned from major social media platforms, ride-sharing services, and payment apps following her anti-Muslim posts. She has since promoted various conspiracy theories, including claims about 9/11 and unverified stories about immigrants.
Neither Maher nor HBO responded to requests for comment on the ruling. HBO was named as a co-defendant in the case.
The dismissal follows a similar outcome a day earlier when another federal judge threw out a defamation lawsuit filed by FBI Director Kash Patel against former MSNBC contributor Frank Figliuzzi. Patel has filed a separate defamation action against The Atlantic over reporting about his alleged drinking and unexplained absences at the bureau. The magazine stands by its story.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "Courts have long protected comedians' jokes as opinion, but Loomer's defiance signals this fight isn't over."
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