Judge tosses Laura Loomer lawsuit against Bill Maher over Trump claims, cites ‘actual malice’ failure
WASHINGTON, DC: Laura Loomer faced a legal setback on Wednesday, April 22, after a federal judge dismissed her $150 million defamation lawsuit against Bill Maher and HBO, ruling that she failed to prove “actual malice.”
US District Judge James Moody said the September 2024 comments were made by a comedian about a public figure during a period when jokes and speculation about Loomer's ties to President Donald Trump were already widespread.
The court found that the remarks made on Maher’s HBO show ‘Real Time with Bill Maher’ were protected speech and did not meet the legal threshold for defamation.
Laura Loomer files defamation lawsuit over ‘relationship’ joke about Trump
Loomer filed the lawsuit in October 2024 after Maher suggested on ‘Real Time with Bill Maher’ that she could be in an “arranged relationship” tied to political optics around Trump, also referencing her age and appearance in a comedic context.
The judge ruled that no reasonable viewer would interpret the segment as a factual claim, pointing to the show’s format as a late-night comedy program.
Court says Bill Maher’s comments were not factual claims
Judge Moody noted that Maher’s remarks were made in a clearly comedic setting where satire and political humor are expected.
He also said public speculation about Loomer and Trump had already been circulating before the episode aired, weakening claims that Maher introduced new defamatory allegations.
The court added that Loomer failed to show actual malice or damages, granting summary judgment in favor of Maher and HBO.
Laura Loomer criticizes ruling, calls it ‘dishonest and misogynistic'
Following the dismissal, Loomer criticized the ruling on social media, calling it “both factually and legally wrong.”
🚨 Statement on Judge Moody’s ruling in my defamation lawsuit against Bill Maher @billmaher 🚨
— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) April 22, 2026
The ruling today by Judge Moody in favor of Bill Maher following his initial dismissal of Bill Maher’s motion to dismiss my defamation lawsuit is both factually and legally wrong.…
She said Maher’s remarks were not harmless jokes and claimed they falsely implied misconduct involving Trump.
“The ruling today by Judge Moody in favor of Bill Maher… is both factually and legally wrong,” Loomer wrote, adding that the comments damaged her reputation.
Loomer also described the decision as “dishonest and misogynistic,” while maintaining that she has consistently supported Trump in a professional capacity.
