Kevin O’Leary, Fox News Seek Dismissal of Utah Defamation Lawsuit

Salt Lake City, UT, September 24, 2026 —

Kevin O’Leary, known for his role on ABC’s “Shark Tank,” and Fox News have jointly filed a request with a judge to dismiss a defamation lawsuit brought against them in Utah. The legal action was initiated by two individuals who allege O’Leary engaged in a “smear campaign” that caused them reputational harm.

The plaintiffs’ complaint centers on statements made by O’Leary in connection with his proposed data center project in Utah. According to the lawsuit, O’Leary falsely identified the plaintiffs as “Chinese agents.” The individuals contend that these accusations were made without any supporting evidence.

The core of the defamation claim is that O’Leary’s alleged false statements, made during his defense of the data center project, damaged the plaintiffs’ reputations. The plaintiffs argue that the characterization of them as Chinese agents was unsubstantiated and damaging.

Both O’Leary and Fox News are now seeking the dismissal of this lawsuit. The specific grounds for their motion to dismiss were not detailed in the provided information. The legal proceedings are ongoing in Utah, where the plaintiffs filed their suit, seeking recourse for the alleged reputational damage.

Key details regarding the timeline of O’Leary’s statements, the specific nature of the proposed data center project, and the identities of the plaintiffs were not provided in the summary. The outcome of the motion to dismiss filed by O’Leary and Fox News is pending.

Story summarized from the original created by Annie Knox on utahnewsdispatch.com, see more information here.

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