Kai Spears Wins NYT Defamation Case
A jury awarded former Alabama player Kai Spears $9.25 million in his NYT libel suit.
August 21, 2026 · Updated Aug 21, 6:40pm ET
The GuardianFormer Alabama basketball player wins $9.25m in defamation case against New York Times
Reason$9.25M Verdict Against N.Y. Times, in Libel Case Brought by Alabama Basketball Player
Daily CallerNew York Times Loses Defamation Lawsuit, Ordered To Pay Millions In Damages To Former Alabama Basketball Player
Associated PressJury says The New York Times defamed Alabama basketball player with incorrect story about shooting
Breitbart NewsNew York Times Ordered to Pay Alabama Basketball Player $9.25M in Defamation Suit
The Daily WireNYT Ordered To Pay Millions To College Athlete In Defamation Judgement
Hot AirNYTimes Found Liable for Defamation of College Basketball Player
PJ MediaAn Alabama Jury Just Gave the New York Times a $9.25 Million Reality Check
The Gateway PunditFake News New York Times Loses Defamation Lawsuit — Ordered to Pay $9.25 Million After Falsely Linking Innocent Alabama Basketball Player to Deadly Shooting
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What happened
A federal jury in Alabama awarded former University of Alabama basketball player Kai Spears $9.25 million after finding The New York Times liable for defamation over a March 2023 article. The article incorrectly reported that Spears was a passenger in Brandon Miller’s vehicle at the scene of a January 2023 Tuscaloosa shooting that killed 23-year-old Jamea Harris. Spears, then a walk-on on Alabama’s men’s basketball team, sued in 2023 and also prevailed on a false-light/invasion-of-privacy claim. The verdict followed about five hours of deliberation in federal court.
