A Tennessee federal jury awarded $18 million to the family of Kiely Rodni, finding YouTuber Ryan Upchurch liable for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. - Upchurch posted videos claiming Rodni's disappearance was a hoax and that she was not real.
- The lawsuit highlighted videos that published images of Rodni's grandfather and her father's former address. - The family's attorney said they felt powerless as the videos went viral on a platform with 3 million followers.
- The trial began on May 12 and concluded with the verdict after two and a half years of legal proceedings. The Rodni family expressed that the posts compounded their profound grief with extreme emotional distress.