This archive report was first published on 5 December 2019.
Published on December 5, 2019, a defamation trial between Elon Musk and Vernon Unsworth, a British caver, has been ongoing in Los Angeles.
Unsworth is suing Musk for defamation over a 2018 tweet in which the tech billionaire called him a 'pedo guy'.
During the trial, Unsworth testified that he felt 'shamed' and 'dirtied' by Musk's comment, saying 'Effectively from day one, I was given a life sentence without parole.'
Musk had initially apologized for the tweet, claiming it was an off-the-cuff insult and not meant to accuse Unsworth of being a pedophile.
However, Musk's attorneys have tried to dismiss Unsworth's claim that his reputation was harmed, showing pictures of him with then-British premier Theresa May in July 2018.
Unsworth has refused to apologize for his comments on Elon Musk's mini-submarine proposal, which he dismissed as a PR stunt.
