Life is tough for Boston founding member Tom Scholz these days. Already embroiled in a legal dispute over the ownership of his band’s songs, he has lost in his attempt to sue the Boston Herald for defamation of character and has to pay them $132,000 in legal fees, according to Billboard.
Scholz sued the Herald back in 2010 after he claimed reporters Gayle Fee and Laura Raposa tried to blame him for the suicide of Boston founding member Brad Delp in a March 2007 “Inside Track” article. They quoted Delp’s wife Micki as being critical of Scholz, who claimed the quotes were fabricated.
Mrs. Delp stood by her statements and that poked a major hole in Scholz’s case. The judge ultimately ruled there was “no reasonable expectation” to prove any of the quotes or opinions to be false, which cannot prove defamation.
Delp’s tragic suicide also made Scholz more of a public figure within the context of the story, which by law makes it harder for people like him to prove defamatory remarks.
Scholz’s team tried to have the payment to the Herald thrown out, but the judge explained that they have to be there to prevent “media defendants” from expressing defamatory falsehoods in the first place.
– Matt Dolloff, 100.7 WZLX
