Actor James Woods has received the green light from a Los Angeles judge to proceed with his $10 million lawsuit against a Twitter user who called him a cocaine addict. The Utah-born actor has himself become well-known for his conservative politics and right-wing tweets. As a result of the judge's ruling it is possible that the identity of the anonymous Twitter user could become revealed as the court case moves forward.
The tweeter had requested that Woods' case be tossed out. However, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mel Recana rejected the defendant's request that the lawsuit be dismissed.
Last July the Twitter user "Abe List" accused Woods of using cocaine. In another post the tweeter referred to the actor from "Once Upon a Time in America" (1984) and "Casino" (1995) as a clown and a joke.
The Twitter user's profile states that he is a partner at a Los Angeles-based private equity firm, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He was also educated at Harvard University.
Many people expected Recana to toss out the case. That is due to the tweets being mild compared to others that include threats and harassment.
Twitter has said that Abe List's "cocaine addict" label was an exaggeration and based on the user's opinion. It argued that the person did not mean any harm.
The microblogging service also stated that it would not make sense to find out who every insulting anonymous user was. It would go against the First Amendment and free speech.
Woods has made comments about various organizations and public figures. They include Planned Parenthood, Caitlyn Jenner, and President Obama.
The Hollywood actor has referred to political activist Al Sharpton as a "pig" and Democratic president candidate Bernie Sanders as a "scarecrow," according to The Verge. Woods also suggested one Twitter user regularly spent money to buy crack cocaine.
After Judge Recana's decision Woods argued that his reputation had been damaged by a "coward." He claims hundreds of thousands of his followers saw Abe List's post.
The Twitter user's lawyer Lisa Bloom has stated her client will appeal the decision and fight the case for months or even years.
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