Companies behind Murdaugh documentaries want libel case moved to federal court
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The production companies accused of spreading false rumors about Alex Murdaugh’s eldest son have elevated the ongoing litigation to federal court.
In new court filings on Tuesday, attorneys for companies associated with Netflix claimed it was an appropriate move due to their places of business being outside of South Carolina.
The other defendants that represent HBO, Discovery+ and the Hampton County Guardian are also on board with the change of venue.
Richard Alexander Murdaugh Jr. or “Buster” originally filed a lawsuit in Hampton County against several media companies and journalist Michael DeWitt.
According to the suit, Buster’s reputation has been “irreparably damaged, and he has suffered mental anguish” due to the publicized rumors about his sexuality and connection to the death of Stephen Smith, an openly gay man whose body was discovered in the middle of the road in 2015, in these documentary series.
No member of the Murdaugh family has ever been named a suspect in the case.
The case was re-opened by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division in 2023 and the 19-year-old’s body exhumed.No arrests have been made in connection.
Defendants’ attorneys argued in their latest move that the inclusion of DeWitt, who appeared in the Netflix special “Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal”, was a “blatant attempt to avoid” federal court.
They claim in their filing that the original lawsuit misquotes DeWitt to “manufacture a cause of action where none exists.” Before the move is finalized, Judge Richard Gergel has to approve it.
Murdaugh’s attorney Shaun Kent has denied a request for comment.
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