Nevada Supreme Court Rejects Steve Wynn’s Lawsuit Against Associated Press
Date: 2024-09-09 Author: Alex Crawford Categories: PEOPLE
In 2018, the Associated Press published a story in which two women accused Steve Wynn of sexual misconduct. One of them claimed to have been raped by the casino magnate in the 1970s. The story was based on documents obtained through a public information request, but the women’s names were not released. However, one of the alleged victims, Halina Kuta, agreed to be identified and said she was sexually assaulted by Wynn in Chicago in 1973 or 1974.
After the story was published, Wynn filed a libel lawsuit against the AP, Kuta, and one of the journalists. In the lawsuit, Wynn, 82, claimed his name was desecrated by the sexual harassment story.
Earlier this year, a three-court panel in Nevada cited the state’s powerful anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) law, which is designed to protect free speech and counter efforts to silence critics through lawsuits. The February ruling, the AP reported, recognized that anti-SLAPP laws “are designed to limit precisely this type of lawsuit, which involves a news organization publishing an article for the purpose of informing the public about a matter of public interest.”
The Fallout from Sexual Harassment Allegations
After sexual harassment allegations came to light in 2018, Wynn stepped down as CEO of Wynn Resorts. Sexual harassment allegations in Nevada led to the casino magnate being fined $10 million last year. While Wynn agreed to pay the fine, he did not admit guilt.
In addition, Wynn Resorts was also scrutinized in light of sexual harassment allegations. As a result, the company received a historic $20 million fine from the Nevada Gaming Commission.
