The heated feud between Teen Mom 2 co-stars Kailyn Lowry and Briana DeJesus has escalated beyond pulling hair at reunions and talking smack on social media. Kail has filed a civil lawsuit against Briana asking for a minimum of $30,000 in damages after Briana made claims on Instagram that Kail broke into her ex Chris Lopez’s mom’s house and beat him because of their son’s haircut.
Kail and her legal team filed the lawsuit on June 25, citing a series of Instagram posts made by Briana on June 8 and June 9. Briana’s comments were in response to the fact that Kail was not featured on the episode of Teen Mom 2 that aired on June 8.
From the lawsuit:
Defendant published a series of Instagram stories and comments to her public Instagram account, stating that she knew why Lowry was omitted from the episode. Throughout the posts and comments, Defendant claimed that Lowry had committed violent, physical crimes towards Mr. Lopez. Defendant also asserted that Lowry was arrested for breaking and entering into the home of Mr. Lopez’s mother. Specifically, on Instagram, Defendant stated, “Kail doesn’t wanna [sic] film about breaking and entering into Chris Momma house and beating him for cutting his child’s hair.”
…Defendant then continued to interact with her wide audience of followers in a series of comments and reactions, perpetuating the false allegations contained in the Post.
…On or about June 9, 2021, Defendant went “back to the drama” (Defendant’s own words) and continued to perpetuate the untrue statements contained in the Post during an Instagram Live broadcast.
…On the Instagram Live broadcast, Defendant claimed that she “know[s] the real story, [she] know[s] what happened,” concerning why Lowry was not included in the June 8, 2021, episode of the Series. Defendant asserted that Lowry was omitted from the episode because she “didn’t want to film about the issues that goes [sic] on with her and Chris” and “tryna [sic] clean up the bad girl act.” Defendant then added that “[Lowry] did not want to film about the situation with the domestic violence, about her getting arrested, about her breaking and entering into…Chris’s mom’s house. She didn’t want to film about her hitting Chris because Chris cut her son’s hair.” Defendant then claimed she “was just stating facts. So that’s what happened.”
Briana’s comments led to numerous news articles, a couple of which are cited in the filing. The lawsuit also mentions that Briana gave an “exclusive” statement to CeleBuzz and then shared sponsored links to the story on social media.
Here’s a video of Briana’s live on June 8. Towards the end of the clip she admits that the whole “Kail broke into Chris’s mom’s house” thing was just something someone told her:
Kail’s legal team denies the claims of abuse made by Briana. “Lowry did not break into and enter the home of Mr. Lopez’s mother. Nor did Ms. Lowry beat Mr. Lopez.”
And what about the reason that Kail was not included in the Teen Mom 2 episode that aired June 8? “The reason that Lowry did not appear in this episode has not been made available to the public,” the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit also goes into Kail and Briana’s history of animosity. Of course, the filing tries to put the blame squarely on Briana. Here’s one passage in which Kail’s lawyer actually quotes some derogatory terms used to describe Briana in a 2020 YouTube video that “was liked approximately 1,300 times” at the time the lawsuit was filed:
Defendant’s conduct towards Lowry, including pursuing Lowry’s former husband and Mr. Lopez, is so egregious that in September 2020, one social media influencer created a video titled, “Is Briana Dejesus OBSESSED With Kail Lowry?!” This video was liked approximately 1,300 times on YouTube. In this video, The influencer called Defendant’s conduct toward Lowry “creepy,” “pathetic,” and “dusty.”
[I’m trying to keep a straight face here. Thankfully the lawsuit didn’t go so far as to quote random tweets and Instagram comments.]
UPDATE – The “influencer” who posted the YouTube video is none other than The Grace Report! Here is Grace’s reaction to finding out her opinions were included in the lawsuit followed by ours:
How much is Kail suing for? “This is an action for damages that exceed $30,000 exclusive of interest, attorney’s fees and costs,” reads the filing. I am guessing that the $30,000 amount is some sort of benchmark figure? “As a result of the Post, Lowry has suffered damages consisting in the impairment of her reputation and standing in the community, personal humiliation, and mental anguish and suffering in an amount to be determined at trial.”
Briana’s sister Brittany and mother Roxanne have since responded to news of the lawsuit breaking online. Roxanne retweeted the E! News article about the lawsuit and added: “Looks like someone is looking for a story line.”
Brittany was a bit more verbose and graphic with her response as she suggests Kail’s lawsuit was racially motivated:
For those of you wanting more than just a recap of Kail Lowry’s lawsuit, here are all of the relevant sections for you:
NATURE OF THE CASE
1. Lowry brings this action against Defendant for defamation concerning recent untrue statements made by Defendant, about Lowry, on social media. Defendant, a long-time foe of Lowry, asserted that Lowry physically beat Christopher Lopez, the father of two of Lowry’s sons, and broke into and entered the home of Mr. Lopez’s mother. These statements were shared with Defendant’s social media followers, which exceed 1 million persons.
2. Defendant’s comments are untrue, and they were made by Defendant for the purpose of causing Lowry harm. By making these false statements, Defendant not only harmed Lowry, but she also lined her own pockets while doing so. Defendant used Lowry to gain additional media attention for herself, which included pushing articles about Lowry for which, upon information and belief, Defendant was paid. Lowry seeks redress from this Court to right the wrongs that Defendant caused and end the drama between the two women, once and for all.
#TeenMom2 Briana responds to Kail's nude Icelandic barn & horse maternity photo with laughing emoji. The two ladies then feud and mock each other for being victims of domestic violence & revenge porn. Get a full recap, plus we check in on Briana's ex Shoc. https://t.co/nDopziLoyd pic.twitter.com/I9bM65e2jf
— Starcasm (@starcasm) March 3, 2020
FACTS APPLICABLE TO ALL CLAIMS FOR RELIEF
A. Background
11. Lowry is a reality television personality, New York Times best-selling author, entrepreneur, and social media influencer. As of the date of this Complaint, she has approximately 4 million followers on Instagram. Lowry is also the co-owner and co-host of two podcasts: Coffee Convos Podcast with Kailyn Lowry and Lindsie Chrisley as well as Baby Mamas No Drama with Kail Lowry & Vee Rivera.
12. Coffee Convos Podcast with Kailyn Lowry and Lindsie Chrisley features discussions about motherhood and family, among other things.
13. Baby Mamas No Drama with Kail Lowly & Vee Rivera concerns the life of Lowry and her co-host as women who co-parent with others while they run a business.
14. Defendant is a reality television personality and social media influencer. As of the date of this Complaint, she has approximately 1.1 million followers on Instagram.
#TeenMom2 @_BrianaDejesus returns to Twitter, immediately reignites feud with @KailLowry: https://t.co/1g9yBVrb85 PLUS, @PBandJenelley_1 chimes in as well. (@MTV might need to beef up security for the Reunion!)
— Starcasm (@starcasm) February 3, 2018
B. The Bad Blood Between Lowry and Defendant
15. In or around June 2017, it was announced that Defendant would join the cast of Teen Mom 2, a reality television show that Lowry has starred in since 2010 (the “Series”).
16. The parties’ relationship has been fraught. In an Instagram Live broadcast, Defendant admitted that she told Lowry that the two women “were never friends; [n]ever been friends.
17. Defendant has a history of making false public statements regarding Lowly’s family life. Defendant instructed a fan on Twitter to “shut the f-ck up ’cause [Lowry] gets beat the f-ck up by Chris [Lopez] in front of her kids.”
18. In or around August 2018, while filming a reunion episode for the Series, Defendant’s sister physically assaulted Lowry in the heat of a verbal disagreement between Lowry and Defendant.
19. Defendant’s conduct towards Lowry, including pursuing Lowry’s former husband and Mr. Lopez, is so egregious that in September 2020, one social media influencer created a video titled, “Is Briana Dejesus OBSESSED With Kail Lowry?!” This video was liked approximately 1,300 times on YouTube. In this video, the influencer called Defendant’s conduct toward Lowry “creepy,” “pathetic,” and “dusty.”
#TeenMom2 @_BrianaDejesus goes off the rails after @Javimarroquin9 chatted it up with @KailLowry on Kail's #CoffeeCovos podcast! Check out all the deleted tweets with responses from Kail, Javi, and…Jenelle?! https://t.co/8pKNn5SKba pic.twitter.com/39Ki72yZ51
— Starcasm (@starcasm) January 26, 2018
The Post
20. Lowry was not included in the episode of the Series that aired on June 8, 2021.
21. The reason that Lowry did not appear in this episode has not been made available to the public.
22. On the same night the episode aired, to wit, June 8, 2021, Defendant published a series of Instagram stories and comments to her public Instagram account, stating that she knew why Lowry was omitted from the episode.
23. Throughout the posts and comments, Defendant claimed that Lowry had committed violent, physical crimes towards Mr. Lopez. Defendant also asserted that Lowry was arrested for breaking and entering into the home of Mr. Lopez’s mother.
24. Specifically, on Instagram, Defendant stated, “Kail doesn’t wanna [sic] film about breaking and entering into Chris Momma house and beating him for cutting his child’s hair.” (Herein referred to as the “Post”).
25. The Post is false. Lowry did not break into and enter the home of Mr. Lopez’s mother. Nor did Ms. Lowry beat Mr. Lopez.
26. Defendant then continued to interact with her wide audience of followers in a series of comments and reactions, perpetuating the false allegations contained in the Post.
27. Due to the controversial nature of these allegations, they were subsequently re-posted and reported on by several influential entertainment websites. These allegations ignited a frenzy on social media.
28. The U.S. Sun reported on the allegations in a story entitled, “‘NOT AUTHENTIC!’ Teen Mom Briana DeJesus claims Kailyn Lowry was ‘CUT’ from new episode because she ‘refused to film about arrest’.”
29. CeleBuzz.com published a story entitled, “Briana DeJesus Confirms Real Reason Why Kailyn Lowry Was Cut from ‘Teen Mom 2.’”
30. Defendant provided CeleBuzz.com “exclusive comment” for its story.
31. Upon information and belief, Defendant has a business relationship with CeleBuzz.com.
32. Upon further information and belief, Defendant and CeleBuzz.com have a “pay per click” agreement. Defendant is paid each time one of her social media followers “clicks” on an article posted by CeleBuzz.com, upon information and belief.
33. Defendant makes money off pedaling salacious content concerning Lowry, upon information and belief.
34. Defendant did not care that the Post was untrue.
#TeenMom2 star Kail Lowry arrested last month for "domestic incident" against baby daddy Chris Lopez! Get the details: https://t.co/6j0zhnJwbh pic.twitter.com/60mvKOOsR8
— The Ashley (@TheAshleysRR) October 29, 2020
Defendant’s Untrue Statements Threaten Lowry’s Ability to Earn of Living
35. An Instagram user tagged several of Lowry’s sponsors and employers in a different post referencing the Defendant’s allegations concerning Lowry.
36. On or about June 9, 2021, Defendant went “back to the drama” (Defendant’s own words) and continued to perpetuate the untrue statements contained in the Post during an Instagram Live broadcast.
37. At times, this “livestream” had as many as 10,300 live viewers. It has since been saved and reposted to other Instagram accounts.
38. On the Instagram Live broadcast, Defendant claimed that she “know[s] the real story, [she] know[s] what happened,” concerning why Lowry was not included in the June 8, 2021 episode of the Series.
39. Defendant asserted that Lowry was omitted from the episode because she “didn’t want to film about the issues that goes [sic] on with her and Chris” and “tryna [sic] clean up the bad girl act.”
40. Defendant then added that “[Lowry] did not want to film about the situation with the domestic violence, about her getting arrested, about her breaking and entering into…Chris’s mom’s house. She didn’t want to film about her hitting Chris because Chris cut her son’s hair.”
41. Defendant then claimed she “was just stating facts. So that’s what happened.”
42. In making the Post and repeating the untrue statements, Defendant recklessly disregarded the truth.
43. Even after Lowry publicly denied Defendant’s allegations, Defendant continued to reassert and republish the false information found in the Poet.
44. To date, Defendant has not recanted the alleged facts that she published in the Post.
More details on @KailLowry's altercations with Javi and Jo from #TeenMom2 Season 4 http://t.co/Wukp52yS
— Starcasm (@starcasm) February 15, 2013
FIRST CLAIM FOR RELIEF
Defamation
45. Lowry repeats and re-alleges paragraphs 1 to 2 and 8 to 43, as though fully set forth herein.
46. The Post was created by the Defendant and published to her social media account.
47. The Post was an unprivileged publication that concerned Lowry.
48. The Post was false.
49. The Post was published to Defendant’s approximately 1.4 million followers on Instagram.
50. Third parties understand the character of the Post as defamatory.
51. The Post charges Lowry with an infamous crime.
52. “Breaking and entering,” charged as burglary under Florida law, is a felony.
53. The Post subjects Lowry to hatred, distrust, ridicule, contempt, or disgrace.
54. The Post interferes with and injures Lowry’s profession, occupation, business, and employment.
55. Upon information and belief. Lowry’s sponsors, as well as her podcasts’ sponsors, are aware of the allegations made in the Post.
56. The Post imputed conduct to Lowry incompatible with the essential functions of her job as a cast member of the Series.
57. The Post imputed conduct to Lowry incompatible with the essential functions of her job as a podcaster whose podcasts focus on motherhood, family, and parenting.
58. Defendant made the Post with actual malice.
59. Defendant knew the Post was false and or acted with reckless disregard of whether it was false or not.
60. The injurious nature of the Post is apparent from the words in the Post itself.
61. As a result of the Post, Lowry has suffered damages consisting in the impairment of her reputation and standing in the community, personal humiliation, and mental anguish and suffering in an amount to be determined at trial.
PRAYER FOR RELIEF
WHEREFORE, Lowry respectfully requests a judgment in her favor, and against Defendant as follows:
A. Award Lowry compensatory and special damages;
B. Award Lowry reasonable costs and attorneys’ fees;
C. Grant Lowry any other and further relief as the Court may deem just, equitable or proper.
JURY TRIAL DEMAND
Lowry requests a trial by jury on all issues so triable.
Asa Hawks is a writer and editor for Starcasm. You can contact Asa via Twitter, Facebook, or email at starcasmtips(at)yahoo.com
