Rachel Maddow Calls For Defamation Lawsuit To Be Tossed Out

Rachel Maddow formally pushed back against a $50 million defamation suit in new court filings.

The MSNBC host is being sued by Christian rocker Bradlee Dean. Dean, who brought the suit in July of last year, claimed that Maddow had distorted anti-gay statements of his by removing a line in which he said he was against the killing of gay people. Maddow, however, did read the line.

In the court filings, which were first posted online by the Hollywood Reporter, Maddow and her lawyers called for the dismissal of the suit, saying that Dean's claims were groundless:

One, the broadcasts truthfully reported on Dean's May 15th statements ... Dean bears sole responsibility for the consequences of his words, however much he may try to distance himself from the backlash.

Two, the commentary or rebuke Maddow offered about Dean's statements was classic opinion ... as Dean is entitled to his opinions, however objectionable, so too is Maddow entitled to hers.

Read the full filing here.