Hardiman v. Aslam

Plaintiff, a candidate for governor in primary election, alleged that members of a media news organization made defamatory statements about him. Court properly entered summary judgment for Defendants, as their statements that Plaintiff was accused of beating his wife and was convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence were substantially true. A "teaser" statement that Plaintiff was a former gang member was false, but not actionable as defamatory per se, and not actionable as defamatory per quod, because Plaintiff cannot establish either special damages or that Defendant acted with actual malice. (GRIFFIN and WALKER, concurring.)