The jury ultimately decided on a fee award of $750,000, balancing the arguments presented by both sides.
The Trial and Ongoing Legal Battles
During the trial, Wood testified that his social media posts were a necessary defense against what he perceived as extortion by his former partners, who had sued him over unpaid fees. He claimed he genuinely believed he was being extorted when his former partners demanded fees in 2020 that were twice what they were owed.
However, the plaintiffs painted a different picture, describing Wood as an abusive employer who turned his large social media following against them, leading to threats and harassment. Notably, Wilson testified that Wood’s posts endangered their families, while Wade recounted receiving over 600 threatening messages. Grunberg detailed an incident where Wood choked him during an argument, a claim Wood initially denied but was later contradicted by video evidence.
The defamation case is just one part of the ongoing legal disputes between Wood and his former partners. A separate state court lawsuit over unpaid fees, including those related to the high-profile Nicholas Sandmann case, remains active.
