The malicious prosecution lawsuit filed by Rhye's Michael Milosh against his ex-wife Alexa Nikolas' attorneys was stricken at a hearing in Los Angeles County Superior Court on February 9.
In the spring of 2021, Milosh was accused of grooming, sexual and physical abuse and financial manipulation by Nikolas. Later that year, Nikolas filed a lawsuit against Milosh for sexual battery, gender violence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and a violation of California's Tom Bane Civil Rights Act.
Nikolas voluntarily dropped that suit in 2022, and Milosh filed a lawsuit against her attorneys for more than $10 million in damages, complaining that their litigation was "frivolous" and without "legal basis or factual support." That countersuit has now been denied.
As reported by Pitchfork, Nikolas' attorneys — Karen Barth Menzies, Deborah S. Mallgrave, Brian L. Williams, and Jemme E. Dunn, plus the law firms Gibbs Law LLP and Greenberg Gross LLP — filed an anti-SLAPP motion, which aimed to strike Milosh's lawsuit as an unlawful strategic lawsuit against public participation, or, in other words, that Milosh's lawsuit was an intimidation tactic against someone exercising their right to free speech. The motion then placed the burden on Milosh's team to demonstrate the probability of prevailing on a malicious prosecution claim, which they were unable to do.
Last year, Phoebe Bridgers also successfully filed an anti-SLAPP motion against Los Angeles producer Chris Nelson, whose defamation suit against Bridgers was subsequently dropped.
Details from the February 9 hearing also revealed a possible reason why Nikolas voluntarily dismissed her original lawsuit in May of last year. Milosh's attorneys noted that Nikolas and Milosh had signed a "stipulated judgment" with a "general release of all claims either [Milosh] or Ms. Nikolas may have against each other." That agreement was signed on May 17, 2019, which, according to records, was also the day their divorce was finalized.
Nikolas had previously told Rolling Stone that she intends to refile her original lawsuit.
In the spring of 2021, Milosh was accused of grooming, sexual and physical abuse and financial manipulation by Nikolas. Later that year, Nikolas filed a lawsuit against Milosh for sexual battery, gender violence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and a violation of California's Tom Bane Civil Rights Act.
Nikolas voluntarily dropped that suit in 2022, and Milosh filed a lawsuit against her attorneys for more than $10 million in damages, complaining that their litigation was "frivolous" and without "legal basis or factual support." That countersuit has now been denied.
As reported by Pitchfork, Nikolas' attorneys — Karen Barth Menzies, Deborah S. Mallgrave, Brian L. Williams, and Jemme E. Dunn, plus the law firms Gibbs Law LLP and Greenberg Gross LLP — filed an anti-SLAPP motion, which aimed to strike Milosh's lawsuit as an unlawful strategic lawsuit against public participation, or, in other words, that Milosh's lawsuit was an intimidation tactic against someone exercising their right to free speech. The motion then placed the burden on Milosh's team to demonstrate the probability of prevailing on a malicious prosecution claim, which they were unable to do.
Last year, Phoebe Bridgers also successfully filed an anti-SLAPP motion against Los Angeles producer Chris Nelson, whose defamation suit against Bridgers was subsequently dropped.
Details from the February 9 hearing also revealed a possible reason why Nikolas voluntarily dismissed her original lawsuit in May of last year. Milosh's attorneys noted that Nikolas and Milosh had signed a "stipulated judgment" with a "general release of all claims either [Milosh] or Ms. Nikolas may have against each other." That agreement was signed on May 17, 2019, which, according to records, was also the day their divorce was finalized.
Nikolas had previously told Rolling Stone that she intends to refile her original lawsuit.