Ryan Upchurch hit with $17.5M verdict in defamation case over Kiely Rodni video
Nashville YouTuber hit with $17.5M verdict in defamation case over true crime video, attorney says
Attorneys for Rodni’s family said the videos spread false claims during a time of intense grief and caused damage to the family’s reputation and emotional distress.
By Caleb Wethington
NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) - A defamation trial involving a Nashville YouTuber and a viral true crime video has ended with a $17.5 million verdict.
The lawsuit was filed against YouTuber Ryan Upchurch by relatives of Kiely Rodni, a 16-year-old California girl who disappeared in August 2022 after attending a party near Tahoe National Forest.
Her body was later found inside her SUV in a nearby lake. Authorities ruled her death an accident and said there was no evidence of foul play.
The girl’s father, Daniel Rodni, and grandfather, David Robertson, sued Upchurch in federal court in Nashville in 2023, claiming he defamed them in a video titled “ZERO proof of Kiely Rodni situation being REAL.”
According to the lawsuit, Upchurch suggested the case was fake and part of a scam to raise money through GoFundMe.
Attorneys for Rodni’s family said the videos spread false claims during a time of intense grief and caused damage to the family’s reputation and emotional distress.
The case centered on the limits of online commentary in the true crime community and whether statements made in viral videos crossed the line from opinion into defamation.
The jury’s verdict awarded $17.5M against Upchurch.