Alexis Wilkins, FBI Director's Kash Patel's Girlfriend, Sues MS Now for Defamation
Source: https://reason.com/volokh/2026/05/31/alexis-wilkins-fbi-directors-kash-patels-girlfriend-sues-ms-now-for-defamation/
From the Complaint in Wilkins v. Versant Media Group. Inc. (M.D. Tenn.), filed Friday:
This defamation lawsuit is about MS Now (formerly, MSNBC) using sham "anonymous" sources to push knowingly or recklessly false allegations that Alexis Wilkins, through her relationship with FBI Director Kash Patel, abused FBI resources. Defendants are, of course, free to comment on the leadership of the FBI and its allocation of resources, whether positively or negatively. They are not, however, entitled to lie about it.
Defendants falsely asserted that Ms. Wilkins demanded, and Director Patel ordered, that federal agents assigned to her security detail—which did not even exist at the time—escort an intoxicated friend home after a "night of partying." They falsely portrayed Ms. Wilkins as being intoxicated even knowing that she does not drink. Defendants presumed they could get away with this fiction by citing to "anonymous sources," disingenuously claiming "nonpublic" and "inside" knowledge. This was hogwash and they knew it. Journalists cannot avoid accountability by hiding behind fabricated "anonymous" sources. This lawsuit seeks to bring accountability for Defendants' egregious lies….
The complaint also (1) alleges that the statements were said with "actual malice" (i.e., were knowingly or recklessly false, (2) argues that "Ms. Wilkins is not a public figure," so that the actual malice standard doesn't apply, and instead "she need only show that Defendants acted negligently," and (3) criticizes New York Times v. Sullivan, which set forth the actual malice requirement. That last point is of course not particularly relevant in a Complaint, but presumably Wilkins is planning to raise and preserve such a challenge in the event that the Supreme Court can be persuaded to cut back on that precedent, or cut back its extension from public officials (the precise issue in Sullivan) to public figures. The complaint also includes a "false light" claim, which is closely related to a defamation claim: It also rests on the statements being allegedly false, but seeks to recover for their being "highly offensive" to the plaintiff and to a reasonable person, rather than for their damaging reputation.
Read more: The Volokh Conspiracy
= new reply since forum marked as read
Link to tweet
The complaint centers on a December 5, 2025, MS Now article that falsely claimed Patel ordered Wilkins’ FBI security detail (which did not exist at the alleged time) to escort her allegedly intoxicated friend home after nights of partying in Nashville, based on anonymous sources.
Wilkins claims the report was fabricated, that defendants knew it was false.
This is one of many defamation lawsuits filed by Wilkins against several media figures.
This lawsuit was filed by the Binnall lawfirm
KKKash and his GF might want to tread lightly on the subject of "what constitutes defamation" in the more general legal sense. Seemingly EVERYONE on their side of the aisle is a compulsive liar who makes up bullshit about people, esp. the asshole at the top of the food chain. And speaking of that asshole, I'd imagine Trump told Kash to tell Alexis to file this suit. Anything to get back at his "enemies" like MSNOW 
Also: "even knowing that she does not drink". LOLOLOLOL. Nobody can KNOW someone does not drink unless they're with them every second of every day. And people can be "intoxicated" without drinking. There are other drugs in the world besides ethyl alcohol.
