Plaintiff in CNN defamation trial celebrates ‘vindication’

PANAMA CITY, Fla. – U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young is celebrating the “vindication” he received after a jury found that CNN had defamed him, concluding the intense two-week court battle. 

“I’m glad it’s over,” Young told Digital in an interview. “Feeling very, very, very good.”

After more than eight hours of deliberation, the six-person jury ruled Young was to be awarded $4 million in lost earnings, $1 million in personal damages such as pain and suffering and said that punitive damages are warranted against CNN. But as the second phase of the trial was underway, lawyers for both Young and CNN told 14th Judicial Circuit Court Judge William S. Henry they had reached a settlement. 

“It’s been a long three years, and to have the outcome that we wanted, which was vindication publicly, is an incredible feeling. And I’m glad that it’s over, and we don’t have to spend more years and more time arguing about the meaning of a word,” Young said. 

JURY FINDS CNN COMMITTED DEFAMATION AGAINST NAVY VETERAN, SETTLEMENT REACHED ON PUNITIVE DAMAGES

The settlement amount was not disclosed, but it came after an expert witness suggested $150 million was a fair amount to punish CNN. 

Following the years-long legal battle with CNN, Young tells Digital he doesn’t have “any animosity” towards the network.

“I think that this was a good outcome for both of us,” Young said. “I’m able to get on with my life now, and I hadn’t been able to even imagine what that would look like or feel like for a very long time. I’m still kind of wondering what that is gonna feel like when the dust settles. But in terms of animosity towards CNN, I don’t have any at all.” 

“I hope that they learn something from this experience,” he continued. “I hope that they take this as an opportunity to look in the mirror and realize that, you know, there is room for change and improvement, and if that’s the outcome that it has on CNN and maybe others in the media also can see that as something that’s positive.”

CNN DEFAMATION TRIAL: CLOSING ARGUMENTS MADE AS JURY BEGINS TO DELIBERATE LAWSUIT AGAINST NETWORK

CNN settled its defamation case against Young after a jury found that network defamed him.  (John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Vel Freedman, Young’s lead counsel in the defamation lawsuit against CNN, also touted the legal win.

“We were able to clear Zak’s name, get a verdict, and then settle so he can avoid protracted appeals and move on with his life,” Freedman told Digital. “So, as a lawyer, it’s just exactly what you want to do.”

In a statement to Digital, a spokesperson for CNN said, “We remain proud of our journalists and are 100% committed to strong, fearless and fair-minded reporting at CNN, though we will of course take what useful lessons we can from this case.” 

CNN DEFAMATION TRIAL: EDITOR WHO SAID STORY WAS ‘FULL OF HOLES LIKE SWISS CHEESE’ GRILLED ON WITNESS STAND

Young accused CNN of defaming him after it aired a graphic tying him to “black markets” during the segment that first aired on “The Lead with Jake Tapper.” (CNN/Screenshot)

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Young accused CNN of smearing him by implying he illegally profited when helping people flee Afghanistan on the “black market” during the Biden administration’s military withdrawal from the country in 2021. Young believed CNN “destroyed his reputation and business” by branding him an illegal profiteer who exploited “desperate Afghans” during the November 2021 segment.

Young’s legal team obtained damning CNN internal messages through discovery repeatedly showing staffers expressing overt hostility towards the Navy veteran. Among those presented to the jury include one calling him a “s—bag” an “a–hole” one saying he has a “punchable face.”

It was also revealed that Alex Marquardt, the CNN correspondent who led the on-air report, told a colleague “we’re gonna nail this Zachary Young mf—er,” a message often cited throughout the trial.

‘ Brian Flood and Annie McCuen contributed to this report.