Controversial Vlogger, Andre Stephens, has lost a default judgment in a defamation suit in the Supreme Court to investment banker Ryan Strachan.
Stephens, known for his often loud style and antics, did not bother to
formally acknowledge the lawsuit that was brought against him. He had, in March, publicly stated that he was in receipt of a demand letter and that his lawyers would deal with it.
But, by not formally acknowledging the lawsuit, it is now up to the court to go ahead and assess the level of damage, as well as the costs and interests that Stephens will have to pay Strachan.
Strachan is currently the Vice-President of Investor Relations at GK Capital, the investment and advisory subsidiary of food and financial services company GraceKennedy Limited. He had argued that Stephens made “gravely defamatory” videos and images that were published through his social media accounts on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram.
Attorney Trevor Cuff, of the firm Cuff and Shaw, said Stephens “maliciously besmirched” the reputation of his client, who is an “eminent and highly respected senior member of his profession” with several postings on February 5, 7 and 18.
The letter alleged that on February 7, 2023, Stephens, operating under the username @andre_stephens876, published a video on the social media platform TikTok containing a number of malicious and disparaging statements and innuendo.
The letter demanded that Stephens cease and desist from uttering any further false and malicious statement or innuendo against Strachan.
The letter demanded an unqualified apology, in terms to be dictated by the law firm and to be disseminated by way of YouTube handle @iamandrestephens1035, Tik Tok handle @andre_stephens876 and Instagram handle @iamandrestephens.
The letter also demanded a reimbursement to “our client, in full, for his legal costs. Should these demands not be met, we have strict instructions to file legal proceedings against you forthwith to recover damages as well as aggravated damages therein”.
Cuff wrote: “As a result of these gravely defamatory videos and images involving our client, who is an eminent and highly-respected senior member of his profession, you have intentionally and maliciously besmirched our client’s reputation …”
In January, Strachan confirmed that he joined SSL as a wealth adviser in September 2011 and later supervised Jean-Ann Panton, the former wealth adviser accused in the SSL fraud, for one year. He left in August 2015.
“It is hard to imagine a more damaging series of libels of our client which are calculated to cause him serious and lasting damage both in his public and private life reflecting as they do on his integrity, honesty, his professional competence and his motives,” Cuff wrote.
Strachan, through his lawyers, argued that he had no reason to question Panton’s actions in managing an account held by sport legend Usain Bolt’s holding company Welljen.
“I was never made aware of any concerns, so I can’t speak to that because that was never at my level of authority,” he said.
This is the second major defamation suit win awarded against a vlogger in recent years. In 2019, the Supreme Court awarded $16 million to former Moravian Minister Dr Canute Thompson in his defamation lawsuit filed against gender activist Latoya Nugent.
The court also ordered that she should pay legal costs.
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