Full disclosure: YouTube personality Smash JT is represented by Ron Coleman and the Dhillon Law Firm, whose lead attorney is nominated for Assistant Attorney General of the United States. That Park Place, WDW Pro and Valliant Renegade are likewise legally represented by Mr. Coleman.
Former Kotaku Senior Editor Alyssa Mercante filed a lawsuit against YouTube personality Smash JT, alleging stochastic behavior, defamation, bias-related violence or intimidation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and tortious interference. While announcing and sharing the filing on X, Mercante disclosed Smash JT’s physical, residential address to her followers. By the normal definition, this might be referred to as doxxing. Many of these followers have a history of hostility toward the popular YouTuber.
JT characterized Mercante’s actions as an intentional dox that endangers his family. Whether intentional or an oversight, critics noted the discrepancy in Mercante redacting her own address while leaving Smash JT’s visible.
It’s clear this isn’t a lawsuit as much as it was a calculated move to put me and my family in danger. pic.twitter.com/al16vCeS3h
— Smash JT (@SmashJT) December 11, 2024
READ: Alyssa Mercante Sues Smash JT: YouTuber Alleges Doxing and Family Endangerment
“While Mercante made sure to redact her own address from the public filing—citing her concern for personal safety—she apparently had no issue sharing the lawsuit on her social media accounts, where she routinely stirs up plenty of hatred and animosity against me,” Smash JT stated in a post on his official website. “By doing so, she broadcasted my private information to her thousands of followers, many of whom have consistently been openly hostile toward me.”
JT described the alleged legal doxing as a “reckless and honestly abhorrent act” that jeopardizes his family’s safety.
“For someone who claims to fear for her own safety, this is some pretty strong hypocrisy at its finest,” Smash JT wrote. “Not that I’d come to expect anything less from her.”
An excerpt from the Alyssa Mercante Smash JT Lawsuit in which Mercante conceals her physical address over safety concerns before revealing JT’s address – Gov.UScourts.NYED
READ: Alyssa Mercante Bounces from Kotaku as Gaming Website She Led Is Decimated with Layoffs
Mercante, known as a staunch defender of Kim Belair’s narrative design firm Sweet Baby Inc., even managed to reference Sweet Baby in the lawsuit filing itself.
“In 2024, a small, Montreal-based narrative development and consulting company, Sweet Baby, Inc., found itself at the center of a fresh controversy, incorrectly accused by Gamergate enthusiasts of forcibly inserting gender, … or ethnic minority characters into the game or otherwise tweaking its narrative presentation to favor a general liberal bent.”
Smash JT via Smash JT YouTube
Mercante’s legal team also detailed the history of the Gamergate controversies from 2018. That means a US judge will have to take time out of their day to review Gamergate…
“The lawsuit itself is a blatant attempt to silence my work covering the gaming industry and a clear scream of jealousy over my success in my coverage of it,” JT said. “Among her claims, Mercante alleges I defamed her by stating she ‘sucks **** for money,’ accusing me of making ‘factually false statements’ with ‘actual malice.’ Her lawyers argue that this statement constitutes defamation per se under New York law, as it impugns her chastity and implies criminal activity. They also attribute her alleged damages—including harm to her professional reputation, loss of economic opportunities, and mental anguish—to my coverage. Umm… Alyssa, last time I checked, this was from YOUR Twitter account.”
A tweet by Alyssa Mercanta – X, @alyssa_merc
READ: Alyssa Mercante No Longer Working At Kotaku
Mercante also accused JT of inciting a firestorm of online attention that caused her emotional distress.
“She even alleges that I targeted her based on her race, gender, age, and sexual orientation,” JT said. “The lawsuit also asserts that I engaged in tortious interference with her employment, claiming my commentary and promotion of others’ critiques had now somehow directly led to her job loss and contract buyout.”
The contract buyout detail appears to contradict Mercante’s previous public statements.
Alyssa Mercante on X
In November, when she left Kotaku, she stated in a post on X:
“After exactly two years, I’ve decided to leave Kotaku and my role as senior editor.”
Later, when Kotaku was experiencing layoffs, she claimed her decision to leave predated these decisions. However, her lawsuit claims she was let go and her contract bought out.
Alyssa Mercante on X
“As a direct and proximate result of Tarzia’s unlawful harassment, Alyssa Mercante lost her job and had her contract bought out by her now-former employer,” the lawsuit reads on page forty-seven.
Smash JT has enlisted Ron Coleman of the Dhillon Law Group for legal representation. For transparency, That Park Place is also represented by Coleman.
Ron Coleman via WDW Pro YouTube channel
Coleman’s response to Mercante’s cease-and-desist letter was resolute:
“We will not rebut your assertions point by point. None of the statements you attribute to Mr. Tarzia in Section (I) of your letter is defamatory under New York or California law because they are either true or are protected opinion or polemic. Additionally, your speculation as to what Mr. Tarzia ‘knew’; what motivated any comments he may have made; and the financial operation of Mr. Tarzia’s social media are incorrect and baseless.”
He continued: “For these reasons and many others, your assertion that Ms. Mercante would prevail if ‘this matter were taken to court’ is not only unfounded, but is a transparently empty threat. In fact, as you are doubtless aware, if these claims were litigated in either New York or California they would not only be dismissed, but it is your client who would be exposed to potential liability under the anti-SLAPP laws in both states.”
Alyssa Mercante via Smash JT YouTube
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Coleman declared: “Your demands, in sum, are rejected. There will be no apologies or retractions from Mr. Tarzia to your client. There will also be no further personal, ethical, or career ‘advice’—much less veiled references to our client’s family, which are not well taken—from your office to Mr. Tarzia. All further correspondence or communications concerning this matter are to be addressed to me.”
Smash JT has launched a crowdfunding campaign to manage his legal expenses.
Just finished meeting w/@RonColeman
…We are officially in the big leagues now.I’ve opened up a GiveSendGo account for anyone wanting to lend a hand.
The amount of $25,000 being requested here is *exactly* the amount being sent to Ron for retaining his counsel and services on…
— Smash JT (@SmashJT) December 12, 2024
“I’ve officially created a GiveSendGo campaign to raise funds for my legal defense against Alyssa Mercante’s baseless and malicious lawsuit,” JT said. “The amount requested by Ron Coleman, a VERY bad***, well-seasoned attorney with a track record of defending free speech, is significant, but unfortunately, it’s putting my family in a tough financial bind. The initial retainer fee of $25,000 is coming straight out of my kids’ college fund savings—a move I never thought we’d ever have to make. Any additional assistance from this campaign will go directly towards this cost.”
Click here to support the Smash JT Defense Fund on GiveSendGo.
What are your thoughts on Alyssa Mercante’s lawsuit against Smash JT? Does she have a case? Share your opinions in the comments!
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The woke has their celebrities. We have people like Elon Musk. Which provide actual value to society?
The ones, who wants to destroy society forms, morals and forces people into one directional mindset.
I would actually prefer genuine diversity of thought. Amusing that the nature of the woke forces people to unite with a singular purpose against it.
I swear, that woman (and I’m using that term loosely) has the single most punchable face I’ve ever seen.
Tortious interference? Is she really going to try and blame SmashJT for her lack of work when she’s just an unemployable, unlikable twat that no one wants to deal with? This woman could put Olympians to shame with her stretches.
She’s eventually going to learn some hard lessons.
I think Smash should just stop being weak and do a counter demand already so we can get ride of this pest
Supposedly, that’s exactly what’s happening this time. He made the decision to let Mercunte off with a warning before, but he promised that if she kept pushing the issue, he’d seek damages. Which brings us to this week. But remember, now that it’s a fully fledged lawsuit, Smash needs to watch his every move extremely carefully and can probably only give certain details on the proceedings up until the end. And although her loss in court is guaranteed, my only real concern is that Alyssa simply has no money to lose and will essentially walk away from all this with no lasting consequences. But I guess we’ll see what happens.
[…] Alyssa Mercante Sues Smash JT: YouTuber Alleges Doxing and Family Endangerment ∟Her followers gleefully shared the doxxed address ∟The lawsuit cites the […]
[…] f content warning teases disturbing story with gender discrimination, graphic violence, more– Alyssa Mercante Sues Smash JT: YouTuber Alleges Doxing and Family Endangerment ∟Her followers gleefully shared the doxxed address ∟The lawsuit cites the […]