John Oliver dared someone to sue him, and quelle surprise, they bloody well have.
After Last Week Tonight launched a hefty takedown of U.S. President Donald Trump’s attempts to prop up the nation’s declining coal industry, focusing on its economic and environmental drawbacks, Oliver turned his gaze on mining magnate Robert Murray.
Murray Energy went ahead and sent Last Week Tonight a letter before the show’s broadcast, warning them not to cast aspersions over Murray, nor the business itself. In turn, Oliver said Murray resembled “a geriatric Dr. Evil“, and slammed Murray Energy’s attempts to skirt miner safety regulations.
“Bob Murray, I didn’t really plan for so much of this piece to be about you, but you kind of forced my hand on that one,” Oliver said.
“And I know you are probably going to sue me. But you know what? I stand by everything I said.”
(The powers that be have deemed it appropriate to host the full segment on Facebook, but have restricted its ability to be embedded. That being said, you can watch the full thing on Last Week Tonight’s Facebook itself right HERE, or you can catch the slightly jankier version below.)
Welp, only a few days after that clip went to air, Murray has gone through with the pledge of the cease and desist letter. HBO now stands alongside The New York Times and several smaller newspapers as targets of legal action, as a result of criticising Murray Energy.
The defamation suit itself claims Oliver insulted Murray with that Dr. Evil jibe, and misrepresented some key facts about the disastrous 2007 collapse of a Murray Energy mine in Utah. In turn, HBO said that it didn’t do squat to impinge on the rights of Murray nor the company.
Expect a follow-up feature from Oliver on this one.
Source: L.A. Times.
Photo: Last Week Tonight / Facebook.
