Florida Times

Florida: Driving America's New Greatness.
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

CNN Reaches Settlement in Defamation Case with U.S. Navy Veteran Following $5 Million Verdict

CNN Reaches Settlement in Defamation Case with U.S. Navy Veteran Following $5 Million Verdict

The agreement was reached just hours after a Florida jury sided with the plaintiff, Navy veteran Zachary Young, in a defamation case.
PANAMA CITY, Florida, Jan 17, 2025 — CNN reached a settlement on Friday with U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young, wrapping up a defamation lawsuit in which a jury had previously granted $5 million in damages to the plaintiff.

The settlement, announced by Circuit Judge William Henry, came just hours after the jury's verdict, circumventing a second trial phase to assess punitive damages.

Case Background
Zachary Young, a former Navy member and security consultant, filed a lawsuit against CNN in 2022. He claimed the network tarnished his reputation by depicting him as profiteering off Afghan citizens during the disordered U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. These accusations were based on a segment from CNN’s 'The Lead with Jake Tapper,' which characterized Young’s actions as part of a 'black market' scheme charging 'exorbitant' fees to Afghans in need of evacuation.

Young asserted he was aiding corporations and charities in extracting individuals from Afghanistan amid the Taliban's return to power.

He contended that CNN’s reporting wrongly suggested he exploited Afghan citizens and engaged in unlawful conduct.

Legal Proceedings
Conducted in a Florida state court, the trial spanned two weeks and featured testimonies from both parties.

The six-member jury determined CNN was liable for defamation and awarded Young $5 million in damages.

This verdict anticipated a second trial phase for punitive damages, which the settlement now forecloses.

In court, CNN defended its reporting but admitted in March 2022 that it regretted labeling Young’s work as a 'black market.'

Following the settlement, CNN released a statement expressing pride in its journalism while committing to learn from the case.

Details of the settlement were not revealed.

Statements from Both Sides
Young’s attorney, Vel Freedman, expressed satisfaction with the resolution, noting that the case had vindicated Young and achieved justice for his client.

Young, in a dark suit and blue tie, was seen smiling in court as the proceedings came to an end.

Judge Henry praised the legal teams for their efforts before closing the case.

A CNN spokesperson declined to detail the settlement terms but reaffirmed the network's dedication to its journalistic standards.

Allegations and Implications
The lawsuit focused on accusations that the segment unjustly connected Young to exploitation and illegal activity.

The segment showed Young’s name and photo beside a chyron mentioning a 'black market' for evacuations, which he claimed misrepresented his actions and intentions.

Young’s case underscores the intricacies of reporting on delicate issues, especially those involving humanitarian crises and security operations.

The settlement concludes a prominent defamation case that has spotlighted the responsibilities of media outlets in their reporting practices.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
A monster hit and a billion-dollar toy empire
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Canada: Nurse Suspended and Fined 93 Thousand Dollars After Stating the World’s Most Well-Known Fact Since the Creation of Adam and Eve, That There Are Only Two Genders
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
From Warren Buffett to Michael Burry: The world’s most influential investors bet on a stock that has plunged 40%
U.S. Treasury Secretary Whitney Bessent Backs Stablecoins to Boost Treasury Demand
Spain to Declare Disaster Zones After Massive Wildfires
Beijing Military Parade to Showcase Weapons Advances
U.S. Tech Stocks Slide on AI Boom Concerns
White House Confirms Talks Over Intel Stake
Trump Suggests U.S. Could Support Ukraine ‘By Air’
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
Shari Redstone Confirms $16 Million Trump Settlement Preceding Paramount–Skydance Merger
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Katie Miller Leaves Musk Role to Launch Podcast for Conservative Mothers
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
Taylor Swift on the Way to the Super Bowl? All the Clues Stirring Up Fans
UK Government Tries to Sue 4chan for Breaching Online Safety Act
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Bill Barr Testifies No Evidence Implicated Trump in Epstein Case; DOJ Set to Release Records
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
"Every Centimeter of Your Body Is a Masterpiece": The Shocking Meta Document Revealed
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
JPMorgan Plans New Canary Wharf Tower
Zelenskyy and his allies say they will press Trump on security guarantees
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
Jellyfish Swarm Triggers Shutdown at Gravelines Nuclear Power Station in Northern France
OpenAI’s ‘PhD-Level’ ChatGPT 5 Stumbles, Struggles to Even Label a Map
×