MSNBC parent company NBCUniversal settles ‘uterus collector' lawsuit ahead of high-stakes trial
The parties have agreed to, and signed, a term sheet to settle the lawsuit, according to a joint notice of settlement obtained by Fox News Digital. The parties are working to finalize the language of the settlement agreement and are expected to effectuate the settlement within the next several weeks.
Dr. Amin, an obstetrician gynecologist who provided medical care to women detained at the Irwin County Detention Center, was accused in 2020 of performing unnecessary hysterectomies by a nurse at the facility who made a whistleblower complaint.
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NBC published an article and MSNBC quickly followed with a series of on-air reports in which the doctor was often referred to as the "uterus collector" on September 15, 2020. However, the whistleblower's claims were never proven to be true.
Dr. Amin filed a lawsuit against parent company NBCUniversal, alleging he was falsely portrayed as "an abusive, unethical, and dishonest physician who treated and operated on immigrant women in an abusive fashion, without consent, and motivated by profit instead of quality healthcare."
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Judge Lisa Godbey Wood of the Southern District of Georgia previously ruled that a jury could reasonably find actual malice and the trial was set to begin April 22, in Waycross, Georgia. In light of the settlement agreement, the court has canceled the scheduled trial.
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"NBC investigated the whistleblower letter's accusations; that investigation did not corroborate the accusations and even undermined some; NBC republished the letter's accusations anyway," Judge Wood wrote last year in a 108-page summary.
Amin believed "false and defamatory" statements published with actual malice that caused him significant damage were said six times on "Deadline: White House," seven times on "All in with Chris Hayes" and 10 times on "The Rachel Maddow Show."
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Maddow, Hayes and Wallace were among potential witnesses if it reached trial, along with NBC News reporters Jacob Soboroff and Julia Ainsley, MSNBC producer Denis Horgan, senior director of stands and practices Mary Lockhart, deputy head of standards Chris Scholl and others.
Judge Wood previously ruled that multiple statements were proven false, noting "undisputed evidence has established" that "there were no mass hysterectomies or high numbers of hysterectomies at the facility," "Dr. Amin performed only two hysterectomies on female detainees from the ICDC," and the doctor is not a "uterus collector."
NBC News and MSNBC did not immediately respond to a request for comment. An attorney representing Dr. Amin declined comment.
Attorney Danny Karon, whose forthcoming book "Your Lovable Lawyer's Guide to Legal Wellness: Fighting Back Against a World That's Out to Cheat You" features a section on defamation, isn't surprised a settlement was reached.
"Summary judgment, which Dr. Amin recently won in large part, is often a watershed event in litigation. It allows the parties to understand what factual issues remain for the jury to decide. Considering the judge's 108-page summary-judgment order, it doesn't surprise me that NBC pivoted to a settlement posture as trial approached," Karon told Fox News Digital.
"The data show that about 97 percent of civil cases settle instead of going to trial. The closer the parties get to trial, the higher the heat and stakes become. A good summary-judgment ruling, coupled with a rapidly advancing trial date, often encourages settlement. That's the precise dynamic that occurred here," Karon continued. "Unlike class-action settlements, individual settlements like this one are confidential, often at the defendant's insistence. For that reason, we'll never know the terms of this settlement. Although, the summary-judgment ruling and looming trial date suggest a favorable result for Dr. Amin."
The settlement comes weeks after a Florida jury found that CNN committed defamation against U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young and was responsible for punitive damages.
The six-person jury ruled Young was awarded $4 million in lost earnings, $1 million in personal damages such as pain and suffering and said that punitive damages are warranted against CNN. As the jury was gearing up to determine punitive damages, 14th Judicial Circuit Court Judge William S. Henry announced that Young and CNN reached a settlement for the amount that would be awarded to the Navy veteran.Original article source: MSNBC parent company NBCUniversal settles 'uterus collector' lawsuit ahead of high-stakes trial
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