Riley Gaines plans legal action against news outlet for ‘defamation and character harm’.
Swimmer and Activist Riley Gaines Threatens to Sue Over “Character Assassination” Article
Responding to a news article that she deemed an attempt at “character assassination,” swimmer and activist Riley Gaines has issued a strong threat to sue. The article, released by British newspaper PinkNews, claimed that Gaines was linked to a bomb threat at a California library due to her alleged anti-trans harassment on social media.
Gaines had shared a video from a meeting of the Yolo County chapter of Moms for Liberty at Mary L. Stephens Library in Davis. During the meeting, library staff repeatedly interrupted, insisting that the group not misgender transgender athletes. Eventually, they were asked to leave.
Threat of Bomb Threat and Allegations of Anti-LGBT Rhetoric
In her post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Gaines included the location and phone number of the library. As a result, the library allegedly received an anonymous bomb threat in a phone call that referenced anti-LGBT rhetoric. Subsequently, the library and a nearby elementary school were evacuated.
Gaines took to X once again to express her outrage, stating, “This is libel & character assassination. You are the only one inciting violence & outrage by this post, but I understand that’s the goal. Did you not learn anything from the last time you were sued? Don’t worry about changing the article, it’s already been screenshotted. Lawyer up.”
Community Notes Update and Lack of Evidence
X issued a community notes update to the tweet, clarifying that apart from the bomb threat occurring after Gaines’ speech, no link exists between her and the incident. The update emphasized that Gaines has never called for violence or made any remarks about the elementary school that received the bomb threat.
The outlet claimed to have reached out to Gaines for comment but did not receive a response. Instead, they chose to share the article on X once again, several hours later.
Gaines fired back, criticizing the outlet’s decision to repost the “libelous garbage.” She also disputed their claim of contacting her for comment, stating, “Here’s your comment to take back to the publisher: ‘Get your lawyers ready.'”
Gaines has gained significant attention online due to her social media campaign surrounding the debate about transgender women in sports. Her outspoken views on the issue stem from her experience tying for fifth place in the 200-meter NCAA championships last year with transgender swimmer Lia Thomas.
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