Entertainment
Legal experts question viability of Trump’s $5 billion defamation lawsuit against BBC
U.S. President Donald Trump vows to sue the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for “anywhere between $1bn and $5bn” over a misleading edited clip in a Panorama documentary faces a steep uphill battle in court, with legal analysts pointing to a series of formidable jurisdiction and legal obstacles.
“We have to do it, they’ve even admitted that they cheated, Not that they couldn’t have done that. They cheated. They changed the words coming out of my mouth,” President Trump told reporters on board Air Force One.
BBC have also issued a formal apology last week for an edit in October 2024 documentary which spliced two parts of President’s January 6, 2021, speech.
With the edited version, there was a “mistaken impression” that he directly called for a violent action.
While the apology prompted the resignation of the corporation’s top two executives, the news agency has refused to pay financial compensation and has cited that it “strongly disagreed there is a basis for defamation claim” as reported by Sky News.
Despite BBC’s contrition , legal experts suggest a successful lawsuit is a long shot.
Legal hurdles in the UK
The most straightforward path to file a defamation case would be in the United Kingdom, since the program was originally broadcast here. But, this avenue appears to be closed.
The one-year limitation period for a defamation claim in the UK has almost certainly expired, as the program aired in October 2024. But even if it hadn’t, President Trump would face a difficult task proving serious harm to his reputation, a key requirement under UK law.
It is anticipated that BBC’s defense would be that the edit was an error in judgment, not malice, and that Trump was re-elected as president shortly after the documentary was aired, and didn’t suffer tangible reputational damage in the UK as a result.
Legal hurdles in U.S.
The other way is to bring the case to a U.S. court, potentially in Trump’s home state of Florida, which introduces a different set of challenges, majorly concerning jurisdiction and the high bar for public figures to prove defamation.
The major problem Trump will face is that the BBC’s Panorama program was not broadcasted on any American television and was geographically restricted on the BBC’s iPlayer platform.
To sue in Florida, Trump’s legal team would have to convince the court the BBC purposefully directed its content at a Florida audience, which seems a difficult argument to make.
If a court accepts a jurisdiction, the U.S. President would then have to meet the “actual malice” standard established by the U.S. Supreme Court in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan.
Since BBC has already stated that the edit was “unintentional” in its formal apology writing in retraction, “We accept that our edit unintentionally created this impression that we were showing a single continuous section of the speech, rather than excerpts from different points in the speech, and this this gave the mistake impression that President Trump had made a direct call for violent action.”
This statement directly contradicts the “actual malice” standard.
A political quagmire for UK Prime Minister
The situation also created a diplomatic and political dilemma for UK Prime minister Keir Starmer.
Trump told reporters that he plans to have a telephonic conversation with Starmer over the weekend.
Since BBC is a public corporation, funded by a license fee and legally independent of government, Starmer intervenes to dissuade Trump from the lawsuit, can accused him of compromising the BBC’s editorial independence.
If he remains silent, he leaves a cherished British institution facing a potentially costly and protracted legal battle with a sitting U.S. president, a fight that could ultimately be funded by British taxpayers.
In a separate interview on Saturday, November 15, recorded before his comments on Air Force One, Trump declared the lawsuit an “obligation,” adding, “If you don’t do it, you don’t stop it from happening again with other people.
However, the legal path to a multi-billion dollar payout appears with complications that may make the threat of a lawsuit more potent than its eventual filing.
Walton Goggins has nothing but admiration for his new Fallout co-star, Macaulay Culkin.
Speaking about Culkin’s surprise debut in season 2 of the Prime Video series, Goggins revealed that he was caught off guard by the casting.
But he quickly realized how perfectly the Home Alone actor fit into the apocalyptic world.
“I didn’t know about him because they don’t tell me a lot of things,” Goggins admitted in a recent interview with People.
“Justin [Theroux] I knew about, obviously, and Jon [Gries] and a few other people, but Macaulay I didn’t know about,” Goggins admitted, recalling how the news of Culkin’s involvement came as a surprise.
“When they told me, I just lit up because I think the world of him. We had such a great time on Righteous Gemstones and we became friends after that.”
For Goggins, Culkin’s casting was more than just a reunion with a former co-star.
“The way he fits into this world is so specific and he is so uniquely suited for it,” he said, emphasizing how Culkin’s thoughtful approach to the role elevated the performance.
Showrunner Geneva Robertson-Dworet echoed the sentiment, praising Culkin’s creative vision for the character.
“He had this very particular read on the kind of character that he wanted to play within the Legion and I think he really brought that to the screen,” she explained.
For the unversed, new episodes of Fallout season 2 debut Wednesdays on Prime Video until the finale on February 4, 2026
As revelers from around the world get ready to ring in 2026 in New York City’s Times Square, preparations are underway for a New Year’s Eve celebration packed with live performances.
Crowds have gathered to watch the ball drop from atop the skyscraper at One Times Square on New Year’s for more than a century. At this year’s festivities, organizers are planning a star-studded lineup of entertainment featuring Diana Ross, Ciara, Maren Morris, Little Big Town and more.
But it’s not the only New Year’s celebration with A-list performers on tap. Some top country music stars usher in 2026 on CBS’ “New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash,” with Jason Aldean, Lainey Wilson and CeCe Winans just a few of those taking the stage.
Here’s what to know about who is scheduled to perform, and when, this New Year’s Eve.
Full list of Times Square New Year’s Eve performers
New Year’s Eve celebrations officially kick off in Times Square at 6 p.m. ET with the lighting and raising of the ball that will drop at midnight. The evening features performances from some big names in the entertainment world:
- James McCarthy
- B.o.B
- Ciara
- Tones And I
- LE SSERAFIM
- AGNEW, a New York dance group
- Robyn
- Little Big Town
- Xavi
- Maren Morris
- Ana Barbara
- Diana Ross
When is Diana Ross performing on New Year’s Eve?
Legendary singer Diana Ross is scheduled to perform a medley of her hit songs, including “I’m Coming Out” and “Upside Down,” on the Countdown Stage in Times Square beginning at 11:37 p.m. ET on “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” on ABC. Ross is the recipient of two Grammy Awards for Lifetime Achievement — one as a solo artist and one with the Motown group The Supremes — as well as a Tony, multiple American Music Awards, a Golden Globe and Kennedy Center Honors.
When is Ciara performing on New Year’s Eve?
Grammy-winning singer Ciara‘s Times Square performance is expected to air sometime between midnight and 12:30 a.m. ET on “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,” according to an ABC spokesperson. Twenty-one of the R&B artist’s songs have made it onto Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, including her 2004 hit “Goodies,” which claimed the No. 1 spot for seven weeks. Earlier this year, Ciara released “CiCi,” her first album since 2019.
When is Little Big Town performing on New Year’s Eve?
Country music group Little Big Town is scheduled to play a medley of their hits starting at 9:35 p.m. ET on “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.” The band has been together for over a quarter-century with 32 songs making Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, including their 2014 hit “Girl Crush,” which was No. 1 for 13 weeks. Along the way, Little Big Town was named vocal group of the year six times by the Country Music Association and four times by the Academy of Country Music, and they’ve won three Grammys.
When is Maren Morris performing on New Year’s Eve?
Country music star Maren Morris is scheduled to perform a medley of her songs starting at 10:33 p.m. ET on “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.” The singer-songwriter, who released her latest album “Dreamsicle” earlier this year, rose to stardom with her 2016 hit “My Church.” The song won her a Grammy and peaked at No. 5 on the Hot Country Songs chart.
When is Robyn performing on New Year’s Eve?
Swedish pop star Robyn is scheduled to sing her 2010 songs “Dancing on My Own” and “Call Your Girlfriend” as well as her new single “Dopamine” starting at 9:18 p.m. ET on CNN’s “New Year’s Eve Live.” “Dancing on My Own” was named the top song of the 2010s by the Associated Press’ music editor. More recently, a writer for Britain’s The Guardian likened it to Donna Summer’s “Last Dance” and Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive.”
When is Tones And I performing on New Year’s Eve?
Australian singer-songwriter Tones And I is scheduled to perform her hits “Dance Monkey,” “Fly Away” and “Gone Gone Gone” starting at 8:03 p.m. ET on the official livestream of the festivities in Times Square. She’s expected to return at 11:55 p.m. for her version of John Lennon’s iconic song “Imagine” before the countdown to 2026. “Dance Monkey” climbed to the No. 4 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in 2020, and “Gone Gone Gone,” her new song with David Guetta and Teddy Swims, has been on the chart for the past three weeks.
Schedule for tonight’s Times Square performers
When are your favorite acts performing? Here is a list of the scheduled times for each performance (all times Eastern). Organizers note that the times on the live schedule may not match the exact broadcast time.
- 6:03 p.m.-6:05 p.m. — James McCarthy sings the national anthem
- 6:30 p.m.-6:43 p.m. — B.o.B performs two of his hits plus a new song
- 8:03 p.m.-8:14 p.m. — Tones And I performs three of her hit songs
- 8:26 p.m.-8:32 p.m. — LE SSERAFIM performs their hit songs on “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” on ABC
- 8:41 p.m.-8:46 p.m. — AGNEW, a New York dance group, performs
- 9:18 p.m.- 9:31 p.m. — Robyn performs three of her hit songs on “New Year’s Eve Live” on CNN
- 9:35 p.m.-9:42 p.m. — Little Big Town performs a medley of their hit songs on “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve”
- 10:02 p.m.-10:08 p.m. — Xavi performs a medley of his hit songs on “Feliz 2026” on Univision
- 10:33 p.m.-10:41 p.m. — Maren Morris performs a medley of her hit songs on “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve”
- 11:02 p.m.-11:08 p.m. — Ana Barbara performs a medley of her hit songs on “Feliz 2026”
- 11:37 p.m.-11:46 p.m. — Diana Ross performs a medley of her hit songs on “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve”
- 11:55 p.m.-11:58 p.m. — Tones And I returns for a special performance ahead of the ball drop
- After midnight — Ciara performs a medley of her hit songs on “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve”
Who’s performing on CBS’ “New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash”?
Music stars help welcome the new year in Nashville on CBS’ “New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash.” Five hours of festivities air from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET/PT and 10:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. ET/PT, on the CBS television network and streaming on Paramount+.
Jason Aldean, Lainey Wilson and Bailey Zimmerman headline the celebration, with special guests CeCe Winans and the Fisk Jubilee Singers. Comedian and actor Bert Kreischer and country music artist Hardy serve as hosts.
The Nashville event includes a countdown at midnight and the city’s traditional Music Note Drop and fireworks, the organizers said.
Here’s a list of scheduled performers and special appearances:
- Jason Aldean
- Lainey Wilson
- Bailey Zimmerman
- CeCe Winans
- The Fisk Jubilee Singers
- Dierks Bentley
- Brooks & Dunn
- Rascal Flatts
- Zach Top
- Keith Urban
- Gretchen Wilson
- Stephen Wilson Jr.
- Riley Green
- Megan Moroney
- Dwight Yoakam
- Marcus King
- Cody Alan
- Caylee Hammack
- Comedian Dusty Slay
- UFC champion Kayla Harrison
- Entertainment Tonight’s Cassie DiLaura
- Sirius XM host Buzz Brainard
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