Attorneys for Pat McAfee and Shannon Sharpe are in alignment on their stances on the lawsuits brought against their respective clients by Brett Favre. That was clear Thursday when Sharpe’s attorneys filed to have the defamation lawsuit Favre brought against the FS1 host dismissed using the same arguments that McAfee’s attorneys did in their motion last week.
“Sharpe’s opinions — commentary based on reported facts and couched in rhetorical hyperbole regarding an issue of public concern about a public figure — lie at the core of the protections afforded by the First Amendment and Mississippi law,” the lawyers wrote. “Sharpe’s comments are not actionable, and the complaint is irreparably defective on its face.”
Sharpe’s legal team also took issue with how and when Favre’s attorney first filed their complaints. The Mississippi statute demands that plaintiffs wait ten days after sending a retraction demand before filing a defamation lawsuit. Favre did not do that.
“Favre’s failure to comply with that statute provides an independent ground for dismissal,” attorneys for Shannon Sharpe wrote. They added that Brett Favre and his legal team “failed to meet the most basic prerequisite to bringing a defamation claim.”
Brett Favre first filed his defamation lawsuits on February 9. In addition to the two sports media stars, he also filed suit against Mississippi State Auditor Shad White.
