As many of the Kardashians-Jenners attended the Met Gala on Monday night, Blac Chyna and her legal team were already preparing their next moves, after a jury found that none of the reality TV family defamed Blac Chyna. No damages were awarded in Chyna’s $108 million defamation lawsuit against multiple members of the Kardashians and Jenners, as the jury said they did not interfere with her contract by way of convincing E! to cancel her and Rob Kardashian’s reality show Rob & Chyna.
Blac Chyna, who was engaged to Rob Kardashian and shares daughter Dream with him, brought the defamation suit against Kris Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Khloé Kardashian and Kylie Jenner, saying they falsely told E! producers that she attacked Rob in December 2016, which caused network execs to cancel Rob & Chyna ahead of its second season. While the jurors said the Kardashians-Jenners often acted in bad faith and were not justified in their abuse claims, per the AP, that behavior was deemed to have had no substantial effect on the fate of the spinoff show. Attorney Lynne Ciani told reporters (via Page Six) what’s next for her client:
Two things. Number one, the jury found that Chyna had not physically abused Rob Kardashian. Number two, the jury found that all four defendants intentionally interfered with [Chyna’s] contracts with the E! Network. We will appeal the remainder of the verdict.
A separate trial is reportedly set to begin in about a week to address allegations in the lawsuit against Rob Kardashian. He will be the only defendant in that case.
The jury deliberated for 10 hours over two days over the charges before delivering a big win for the reality TV stars. While the defendants all took the stand and offered emotional testimony regarding the alleged abuse between the couple, executives from E! testified the Kardashians’ and Jenners’ actions were not the reason Rob & Chyna ended, but rather the show was canceled because the couple broke up, and wasn't ever officially renewed for a second season in the first place.
During her testimony, Kim Kardashian was asked about multiple text messages that seemingly threatened to shut down production of Keeping Up With the Kardashians if Blac Chyna returned to film on the show. She asserted that on her own show she had the power to “not go into a toxic work environment.” The part of the lawsuit against Kim was thrown out in the middle of deliberations, ahead of the rest of her family’s win.
Earlier in the trial, the family’s matriarch Kris Jenner took the stand to speak to Blac Chyna’s alleged history of abuse. In addition to testifying about Chyna pulling a gun on her son, Jenner also said Blac Chyna threatened Kylie Jenner as well as her daughter’s then-boyfriend, Tyga, who also shares a child with Chyna. Kris stated that Kylie was “dragged into” the situation due to her relationship with the rapper. However, like Kim, the momager claimed that the family had no power to get the TV spinoff canceled.
For now the win goes to the Kardashians and Jenners, but we’ll have to see how things play out in Rob Kardashian’s portion of the trial, as well as the results of Blac Chyna’s appeals. In the meantime, you can find the famous family on their new reality show, The Kardashians, with new episodes available for streaming each Thursday with a Hulu subscription. Also be sure to check out our 2022 TV Schedule ot see what premieres are coming soon.
