Big3 And Ice Cube Hit With Anti-Slapp Motion

Attorneys representing Ahmed Al-Rumaihi and Ayman Sabi filed an anti-SLAPP motion against the Big3 LLC, O’shea Jackson (aka Ice Cube) and Jeff Kwatinetz.

The motion is the latest salvo in the legal brouhaha involving the fledgling basketball league and its investors. BIG3, Ice Cube”) and Kwatinetz have sued Al-Rumaihi and Sabi for defamation and related claims arising from allegations that Roger Mason, the former commissioner of the league, attributed racially inflammatory statements to Kwatinetz based on information purportedly received from another non-party (Kai Henry) and conveyed to yet another non-party (Jerome Williams).

The crux of the anti-SLAPP motion, filed by Jones Day, states:

"Plaintiffs BIG3 LLC,1 O’Shea Jackson (a/k/a “Ice Cube”), and Jeff Kwatinetz (collectively, “BIG3”) have sued defendants Ahmed Al-Rumaihi and Ayman Sabi (together, the “Investors”) for defamation and related claims arising from allegations that a non-party (Roger Mason) attributed racially inflammatory statements to Kwatinetz based on information purportedly received from another non-party (Kai Henry) and conveyed to yet another non-party (Jerome Williams). Although the Investors submit these allegations fail to give rise to any actionable claim against them, to the extent any claim could lie against them, it is subject to strike under California Civil Procedure Code Section 425.16, et. seq., (the “antiSLAPP statute”),2 because it is based on conduct that is privileged and protected as a matter of law. To start, BIG3’s allegations are based entirely on statements made in a public forum and in connection with a matter of public interest. BIG3 asserts that the statements were made to “numerous individuals” and in a “press release” as part of “public relations efforts,” satisfying the public forum prong of the anti-SLAPP statute."

Read more here, and read the original story about the lawsuit here.