Judge allows Hubbard Inn’s defamation lawsuit to proceed amid viral TikTok claims
CHICAGO - A defamation lawsuit filed by Hubbard Inn in Chicago’s River North neighborhood against a former patron will move forward after a judge this week declined to dismiss the case.
The lawsuit stems from a viral TikTok video that Julia Reel posted in which she claimed she was violently grabbed and pushed down a staircase by a bouncer during a night out in March.
"What was so damaging about these public statements the defendant made is the damage that was done to the employees of the restaurant," said Michael Forde, partner, Forde & O'Meara LLP.
Following Reel’s TikTok video posted in March, Hubbard Inn responded to the allegations by releasing its own TikTok video, which shows Reel being escorted out of the venue – leaving on her own. The restaurant asserts that Reel’s claims were false and damaging to its reputation, prompting them to file the defamation suit.
Reel’s attorney, however, maintains that the restaurant’s video is misleading and doesn’t show the full incident.
"I'm just pushed down. He sends me flying down the staircase. Hysterical at this point, I think I start to kind of yell, scream back at him, push back at him, and he takes me a second time and shoves me again," Reel stated in the original video, which has since been deleted.
Following Cook County Judge Patrick Sherlock’s decision this week denying the defendant’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit, Forde, who is representing Hubbard Inn, said, in part: "We’re pleased that the judge agrees that there are important issues at stake here and that our case can proceed."
Rebecca Kaiser Fournier of Henderson Parks, LLC, who is representing Reel, shared the following statement to FOX 32 Chicago on Thursday:
"Because Ms. Reel told the truth in her TikTok video, we are confident that the defamation claim will be resolved in her favor after the Court hears the evidence. Hubbard Inn’s misleading TikTok video contains gaps and does not include footage from the portion of its winding staircase where its large male bouncer manhandled Ms. Reel, sending her to the emergency room with a concussion and significant bruises. Ms. Reel has her own pending lawsuit against Hubbard Inn for her injuries and for the undeserved Internet backlash she received as a result of Hubbard Inn’s publicity stunt."
Court documents also show that in her motion to dismiss the defamation lawsuit, Fournier argued that Hubbard Inn "does not have standing to sue" because her client’s TikTok post and comments were related to a staff member, not the plaintiff.
In court documents, Hubbard Inn’s legal team claims the restaurant and bar lost more than $30,000 as a result of Reel’s viral video.
Outlined in the court order, Judge Sherlock ultimately "finds the plaintiff’s allegations concerning a loss of business revenue are sufficient to withstand a motion to dismiss and are subject to proof."
"There were all sorts of people that were misled about what happened. This happened right at the peak of St. Patrick’s Day season. There were at least 12 parties canceled as a result of this TikTok video. Servers lost shifts, they lost tips as a result of [Reel] saying they mistreated a patron that never happened," said Forde.
Judge Sherlock has ordered Reel to file a response to the court by Oct. 15.
Meanwhile, Reel has filed her own lawsuit against Hubbard Inn, seeking damages for her injuries.