A man in California, Stewart Lucas Murrey, filed a lawsuit against more than 50 women, alleging that they conspired to harm his reputation and violate his right to free speech based on his sex. The lawsuit stemmed from posts made in private Facebook groups, including offshoots of the viral “Are We Dating the Same Guy?” group, where women share stories about men they are vetting. Despite naming nine defendants in his complaint, a judge dismissed the case against one defendant, Vanessa Valdes, using an anti-SLAPP motion, a legal mechanism to dismiss lawsuits that aim to stifle free expression.
In response to the judge’s ruling, Valdes stated that she does not condone retaliation against the plaintiff and hopes that baseless lawsuits like this will not happen in the future. Murrey, who did not provide a statement, emphasized that the judge’s decision was based only on portions of Valdes’ statements about him. He accused Valdes of participating in an online group that sought to harass and harm him, claiming that this behavior threatens privacy and should not be normalized. Murrey’s amended complaint alleged a large-scale conspiracy to create a fake online consensus that had severe consequences on his personal relationships and dating life.
Murrey’s complaint also mentioned that Facebook and the Facebook groups did not respond to his requests, prompting him to file police reports against the defendants. Over 400 harmful comments were removed from the Facebook groups, according to the complaint. Meta, the company that owns Facebook, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The “Are We Dating the Same Guy?” Facebook groups have gained popularity across the country for warning women about men who exhibit toxic or dangerous behaviors. However, some group members have faced defamation lawsuits from men who were the subject of these conversations.
In a separate case in Illinois, a judge dismissed a lawsuit against 27 women related to their posts in a Chicago “Are We Dating the Same Guy?” Facebook group, only for the plaintiff to refile a class-action complaint on the same day. The growing trend of defamation-related lawsuits against women in these groups highlights the ongoing legal battles surrounding online discussions about personal relationships. The outcome of these cases will likely influence how social media platforms handle such content and how individuals navigate the balance between free speech and reputation protection online.
