A Los Angeles judge has thrown out a defamation lawsuit filed by a man who claimed XXL magazine and a television station falsely accused him of being involved in the Notorious B.I.G’s murder.
The Los Angeles Superior Court judge dismissed Tyruss Himes’ (a friend of Biggie‘s rival Tupac Shakur) suit against the magazine and the Fox-owned KTTV-TV on January 18.
Himes - who performed on 2Pac’s ‘Loyal To The Game’ album - claims he lost a record deal after being linked to Biggie’s murder.
The lawsuit was dismissed on the grounds that the stories were constitutionally protected free speech. Himes had also failed to prove the magazine and station made the claims out of malice and reckless disregard for the truth, the proof required in a defamation case.
"We are appreciative of the time and effort the court put into reviewing the case. We're understandably disappointed in the decision and we're evaluating all of our options," Himes’ lawyer - Arthur G. Lesmez - said.
Notorious B.I.G, real name Christopher Wallace, was shot dead on March 9, 1997. His murder remains unsolved.
