Joy Reid Sued For Claiming Trump Supporter Hurled Racial Slurs At Teenager in Viral Photo

MSNBC host Joy Reid has been slapped with a lawsuit for falsely accusing a Trump supporter of hurling racial slurs at a 14-year-old boy in a viral photo.

In legal documents obtained by The Blast, Roslyn La Liberte said Reid used “her substantial social media presence, fame, and reputation as a hard-hitting journalist” to falsely accuse her of racist behavior, based on a misinterpreted photo.

According to La Liberte, the photo, which showed her in a MAGA hat appearing to shout at the young boy, was actually a “civil” exchange, despite Reid’s claim that La Liberte showed up “to a rally” and “screamed abhorrent racial slurs” at the boy. 

In the social media post in question, according to the suit, Reid claimed La Liberte told the boy he was ‘going to be the first deported…dirty Mexican.”  However, La Liberate said, “Reid made up out of whole cloth the accusation that La Liberte screamed racial slurs at a minor,” – accusations that “were also born out of personal animus and dislike of President Donald Trump, the Republican Party, and supporters of each, including those wearing MAGA hats.” 

Although Reid apologized for the accusation and deleted the initial post, the damage was already done, according to La Liberte, as she’s received “hundreds if not thousands of hate messages” and death threats.” 

As a result, the woman has filed a defamation lawsuit against Reid, seeking damages upwards of $75,000.