Update On Lawsuit Against WWE, Charlotte, And Ric Flair Over Book Allegations
Back in October, WWE, Charlotte Flair, WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair, and author, Brian Shields, were sued by Charlotte's ex-husband, Riki Paul Johnson, for what was written about him in the WWE book Second Nature.
Riki claimed Charlotte defamed him in the book that WWE released on the Flairs in September 2017 by saying the Flairs wrote negatively about his relationship with Charlotte, falsely stating that he is sterile and incapable of fathering children. The two were married from May 2010 until February 2013. Charlotte signed with WWE in 2012.
In an update, Ric Flair, Charlotte, WWE, and Shields were granted a motion on November 29 that they would be given an extended amount of time to respond to the lawsuit that was filed against them, according to PWInsider. The defendants now have until January 18 to respond, unless Johnson resets the clock for a response by filing an amended lawsuit.
When the lawsuit originated, WWE gave a statement to TMZ:
"We recently received what appears to be a meritless lawsuit and we will vigorously defend ourselves."
Riki is seeking more than $5 million in damages. He says the allegations in the book have humiliated his family, including his three children. He also claims the book includes "multiple false allegations physical and/or psychological abuse," and he says he can prove this with police reports and dash-cam footage.
Riki also says the Flairs wrongly claimed he was fired from two jobs to illicit drug use and he was intentionally painted as a bad guy as a way to make Charlotte seem like a "victim who overcame personal adversity and domestic abuse."
Update: Fixed an error stating that Riki and Charlotte were married from 2010 to 2011. They were married from May 2010 until February 2013.