Delaware – August 8, 2025 – Fox News Network LLC has formally requested that the Delaware Superior Court dismiss California Governor Gavin Newsom’s $787 million defamation lawsuit, labeling it a “political stunt” and a “spectacle” aimed at silencing criticism and evading legal protections afforded to free speech.
The Fox California Governor $787M Defamation Suit Spectacle stems from Fox News’ coverage of a disputed June 6 phone call between Governor Newsom and former President Donald Trump. Fox maintains that its reporting — including statements that Newsom “lied” about the call — is substantially true.
In its August 5 court filing, Fox News stated:
“Newsom made an unqualified assertion that no call had taken place when in fact he and President Trump had spoken just days before. Newsom cannot create confusion and then demand a $787 million ransom from a news organization taking his words at face value.”
The network also criticized Newsom for filing the case 3,000 miles from California in Delaware, where Fox had previously settled the Dominion Voting Systems defamation case for the same amount Newsom now seeks. Fox argued this move was designed to bypass California’s anti-SLAPP statute, which protects media outlets from meritless defamation lawsuits.
