If someone has lied about you publicly and damaged your reputation, you may have a defamation claim — but the legal bar is higher than most people expect. Defamation law protects against false statements of fact, not insults, opinions, or unflattering takes. Understanding what you'd need to prove can help you decide whether a lawsuit, a cease and desist, or something else is the right move.
Calling you a "thief" can be defamatory if it's false and presented as fact. Calling you "the worst contractor I've ever hired" is usually opinion and protected. The line between fact and opinion is one of the most-litigated questions in defamation law.
Defamation requires "publication" — the false statement reached at least one person other than you. A nasty private email sent only to you isn't defamation; the same email forwarded to your boss or posted online may be.
Most defamation plaintiffs have to show real harm: lost job, lost clients, lost income, treatment for emotional distress. A few categories (false claims of a crime, of a serious disease, of professional misconduct) qualify as "per se" defamation where damages are presumed.
If you're a public figure or the statement is on a matter of public concern, you generally have to prove "actual malice" — that the speaker knew the statement was false or recklessly disregarded the truth. That's a heavy burden.
Most states give you only 1–3 years to file a defamation suit, and the clock usually starts when the statement is published. Waiting too long is the most common reason valid claims get thrown out.
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NotALawyer.com provides general legal information, not legal advice.