Alec Baldwin’s defamation allegations against a man who alleged the actor hit him can go forward to trial.
Alec Baldwin
The 'Saturday Night Live' star got caught up in a row over a parking space with Wojciech Cieszkowski in New York in November 2018, and subsequently insisted the man lied when he claimed the 62-year-old actor had punched him in the face.
And now Manhattan Supreme Court Justice David Cohen has denied Wojciech's bid to have the defamation claim thrown out.
According to the New York Post newspaper, the ruling stated: “The plaintiff must meet a high bar of proof on his motion to dismiss and, since he fails to definitively prove the truthfulness of his interpretation of the incident, he does not meet his burden.”
However, the judge granted a request to have Alec's allegation that the man's lies led to his false imprisonment dismissed because the man hadn't imprisoned the 'Boss Baby' star himself.
He also found Wojciech couldn't be held liable for defamation for any statements he made to the Manhattan District Attorney's office, which ultimately prosecuted Alec over the incident.
Lawyers for both men were pleased with the ruling on Thursday (04.03.21).
Alex's representative, Luke Nikas, said: “We’re very pleased with the decision.
“From the beginning, Alec has maintained that these charges were frivolous.”
And Wojciech's lawyer, Douglas Lieb, said: “We are pleased that the court found Mr. Baldwin’s false imprisonment claim to be baseless.
“Since Mr. Baldwin seems determined to put his reputation at issue in this case, we look forward to exploring that reputation at trial.”
The legal battle between the two men began in April 2019 when Wojciech sued Alec for assault and slander after the parking space row. He then claimed the '30 Rock' star had lied when he told interviewers Ellen DeGeneres and Howard Stern that he thought the man was going to run over his wife, Hilaria Baldwin.
But the judge dismissed the slander claim, ruling that Alec's statements in public were exaggerations and opinions, which do not rise to the level of defamation.
Alec then filed his counterclaims, alleging Wojciech had defamed him when speaking to police, medical staff at the hospital where he was treated, the media, and a court room and telling them all he had been punched in the face.
Following the original dispute, the 'Motherless Brooklyn' actor pleaded guilty to harassment and was sentenced to anger management classes and ordered to pay a $120 fine.
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