A California man, Stewart Lucas Murrey, is suing more than 50 women for $2.6 million over negative stories they shared about him on a Facebook page called “Are We Dating The Same Guy.” The women claim their reviews were false and defamatory. The women allege that Murrey is using the legal action to intimidate them and are asking the courts to dismiss his claims. One of the women, Vanessa Valdez, was ruled by a judge to have done nothing wrong by sharing her opinion of Murrey on the online group.
Kelly Gibbons, another woman targeted by Murrey’s lawsuit, described feeling creeped out when Murrey came to her house in person to drop off the lawsuit. She mentioned being unnerved by Murrey filming with his cell phone as he entered her home. The women hope that the legal ruling in Valdez’s favor will set a precedent to prevent Murrey from continuing to use the legal system against them. They are invoking California’s anti-SLAPP laws to deter frivolous lawsuits. The judge found no evidence of conspiracy and granted an Anti-SLAPP motion to prevent further misuse of the legal system by Murrey against the women.
Gibbons first posted about Murrey on the Los Angeles chapter of “Are We Dating The Same Guy?” after a negative interaction with him on a dating app. The private Facebook group is part of a larger network where women share negative dating experiences in their respective cities. Despite initially having about 10,000 members, the group quickly grew to include more women sharing their experiences with Murrey. Some posted screenshots of exchanges on dating apps or recounted in-person dates, while others simply commented on their own reactions to Murrey’s behavior.
While the interest in Murrey’s case faded after a few weeks, nine women who posted about him are named in the lawsuit, while the rest are referred to as “Does 1-50.” The women, who did not know each other, are accused in the suit of conspiring to harm Murrey’s reputation and discriminating against him for not being able to join the women-only Facebook page. Murrey is not the first man to file lawsuits against women who have shared negative reviews on the page. Another man, Nikko D’Ambrosio, filed a lawsuit against 27 women in Chicago for describing him as “very clingy” and a ghoster in their posts.
The judge in Murrey’s case on Monday found no possibility of him prevailing against the defendants based on the evidence presented. Murrey’s legal actions against the women have raised concerns about the abuse of the legal system to silence their voices. The women involved hope that the ruling in Valdez’s favor will discourage Murrey from continuing his lawsuits against them. Despite the legal challenges, the women are standing by their right to share their negative experiences and warn others about individuals like Murrey. The case highlights the ongoing debate about free speech and the consequences of sharing personal opinions online.
