Lupul, Phaneuf & wife Elisha Cuthbert threaten to sue TSN over inappropriate Tweet broadcast on trade deadline day
Toronto Maple Leafs players Joffrey Lupul and captain Dion Phaneuf, as well as Phaneuf's wife, actress Elisha Cuthbert, have demanded broadcaster TSN apologize for and financially compensate them in regard to a tweet that aired on its NHL trade deadine show program Monday.
"We have sent a letter to TSN demanding that TSN issue a formal apology and pay a significant amount of damages to each of our clients for broadcasting a false and defamatory tweet during their trade deadline show," Peter A. Gall, lawyer for Phaneuf, Cuthbert and Lupul, said in a statement, adding the trio were making similar demands of Anthony Adragna, the author of the inappropriate tweet used on the broadcast. "It is bad enough that there are people who spend their time using social media to publish such false and malicious stories, but it is made much worse when a reputable media outlet like TSN gives broad circulation and credibility to these false stories by republishing them as TSN did."
Gall's statement went on to threaten the immediate commencement of a lawsuit against the parties if their conditions were not met.
The story began Monday after an inappropriate tweet appeared at the bottom of TSN's broadcast during its day-long trade deadline coverage. Lupul lashed out at the network almost immediately, and although TSNapologizedat length for its actions, Lupul's only tweet on Tuesday suggested his relationship with the media in general has cooled considerably:
UPDATE: TSN announced a formal apology to Phaneuf, Lupul and Cuthbert Tuesday evening.
"In spite of TSN's protocols to prevent unfounded and inappropriate tweets from making it to air, a false, and inappropriate tweet was allowed to run," the network said in a statement. "There was no basis for the false allegation made in this tweet. TSN unreservedly apologizes to Joffrey Lupul, Dion Phaneuf and Elisha Cuthbert and regrets any embarrassment this unfortunate incident has caused to them."
