The tort of defamation of character requires a plaintiff to prove that the defendant ________.
A) publicized a private fact about the plaintiff
B) insulted people closely related to the plaintiff, such as family or friends
C) published an untrue statement of fact about the plaintiff to a third party
D) made one or more financial deals with the plaintiff under a false identity

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The tort of defamation of character requires the plaintiff to prove that the defendant has published an untrue statement of fact about the plaintiff to a third party. Therefore, option C is the best choice. Option A is incorrect because publicizing a private fact about the plaintiff would fall under the tort of invasion of privacy. Option B is incorrect because insulting people related to the plaintiff is not necessarily defamation of character. Option D is incorrect because making financial deals under a false identity falls under the tort of fraud.

The Tort of Defamation of Character Requires a Plaintiff to Prove