A jury has awarded more than $1.1 million to an Idaho drag performer who accused a far-right blogger of defaming him by falsely claiming he exposed himself to a crowd, including children, at a Pride event in June 2022.
The Kootenai County District Court jury unanimously decided on Friday that Summer Bushnell defamed Eric Posey of Post Falls when she posted a manipulated video of his performance with a blurred area that she alleged covered his “fully exposed genitals,” as reported by the Coeur D’Alene Press.
In reality, the unedited video showed no indecent exposure, and authorities did not pursue charges.
“After the verdict, Posey, who performs under the stage name Mona Liza Million, expressed satisfaction with the judicial process.
Jurors awarded Posey $926,000 in compensatory damages for defamation. Additionally, because Posey demonstrated that Bushnell either knew her claims were false or recklessly disregarded the truth, the jury awarded an additional $250,000 in punitive damages.
The U.S. Supreme Court (Via Ben Kane/Shutterstock)
During the Pride in the Park event, Posey performed three times wearing a long-sleeve leotard, black shorts and tights, and a shiny metallic boa around his waist. He did not remove any clothing during his performances.
The event gained national attention not for Posey’s acts, but because 31 members of a white supremacist group named Patriot Front were arrested nearby and charged with conspiracy to riot.
On the same day, Bushnell posted a video discussing the mass arrest and footage from Posey’s performance.
“Why didn’t anyone arrest the man in a dress who exposed himself to minors and the crowd?” she asked. “No one mentioned it, and there’s a video. I’m going to post a blurred video as proof.”
