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Woman Sued by Company for $25K Over ‘Defamatory’ 1-Star Google Review
A company is suing an Ohio woman, accusing her of maliciously posting a false one-star review for the business on Google.
According to an August 12 civil complaint filed in Trumbull County Court and viewed by Globe, Julie Watson is accused of writing a review of Starr Manufacturing Inc., a company that manufactures industrial equipment, that they say was false, defamatory and done with “actual malice.”
The review in question, which is still publicly available on Google, states the company’s work has faced “a host of quality control issues” resulting in multiple sites having to redo “shoddy” work. Watson also alleges she can provide “locations and names” of people who will vouch for the company’s quality control issues.
However, according to the court filing, this review is entirely false.
“None of the claims advanced by Defendant Watson in the Review are true,” the filing reads. “Upon good faith, information and belief, individuals in Trumbull County and the State of Ohio have viewed, read, and believed the utterly false and defamatory allegations made by Defendant about Plaintiff. As a direct result of the Review, Plaintiff has suffered and sustained damages, including but not limited to expenses incurred, significant reputational harm, and special damages.”
They also state that their decision to take legal action stems from their belief that Watson will continue to post false and defamatory information about them via Google reviews if she is not stopped by the court.
The company is seeking $25,000 in damages, with the exact amount to be determined at trial.
In a statement provided to People, Starr Manufacturing’s attorney, Thomas Nader, alleged that Watson was never even a customer and simply posted the bad review as a “result of a personal relationship between the defendant and an employee of Starr Manufacturing.”
Watson’s Google Review profile shows that she has reviewed a handful of other businesses in the Columbus, Ohio area, with all but Starr Manufacturing receiving five out of five stars.
