The woman who accused Brett Ratner of raping her has filed a motion asking a judge to dismiss a libel suit filed against her, Page Six reports. Last fall, Melanie Kohler wrote a Facebook post saying Ratner raped her in 2004 or 2005, but she took the post down just hours later, after receiving a call from Ratner’s lawyers. Kohler’s attorneys assert the producer’s lawsuit doesn’t meet the minimum requirements of a libel complaint, and even worse, Ratner is using it to intimidate other women from making allegations against him.
They also contend that the suit “is essentially a blank piece of paper" that "lacks any factual allegation from which this Court can infer that Ms. Kohler’s FB Post was false or was published with actual malice.”
They also contend that Ratner’s libel suit should be dismissed in accordance with California’s anti-SLAPP statute, which aims to protect public speech.
As Kohler’s attorneys explain, “Mr. Ratner’s lawsuit threatens to chill speech that is a part of an important and historic public discussion on sexual assault and rape in Hollywood. As one of the most high-profile producers and directors in Hollywood, Mr. Ratner’s conduct is an important part of that discussion. And Mr. Ratner’s conduct already is very much a part of that discussion. More than a dozen actresses and other women have accused him of sexual assault and harassment—much of the alleged conduct having occurred in California and in the course of his work in Hollywood. California thus has a strong interest in ensuring a robust discussion about an issue of such importance to the State and one of its most high-profile residents.”
