The diver, who Musk accused without evidence of being a «pedo guy,» filed a defamation suit in California and plans one in the UK.
A British diver who helped rescue a team of boys from a cave in Thailand sued Elon Musk for defamation for calling him a «pedo guy.» It’s the first of what appears to be a pair of lawsuits against the billionaire.
Vernon Unsworth, a 63-year-old British diver who helped rescue a Thai youth soccer team, filed a suit seeking $75,000 in damages against Musk on Monday in the Central District Court of California. The suit says Unsworth is also looking to file a separate legal action against Musk in the UK.
«As one of the highest-profile and wealthiest individuals in the world, Musk knew that this accusations against Mr. Unsworth would be conveyed to a worldwide audience and would result in the accusations receiving massive publicity,» the lawsuit says. A separate legal action will be pursued in the High Court of London for «reputational damage» Unsworth suffered in England and Wales, it adds.
The California lawsuit follows weeks of Musk taunting Unsworth, whom he alleged without providing evidence of being a pedophile after the British diver criticized the Tesla CEO’s plan to rescue the boys in a submarine in July. At the time, Unsworth said he was considering legal action against Musk. Under pressure, Musk apologized later that month.
But the billionaire didn’t back down from the drama. In August, Musk questioned why Unsworth hadn’t sued him yet. In an email to BuzzFeed earlier this month he doubled-down on his claims that Unsworth was a «child rapist» who had moved to Thailand to take a child bride. Musk offered no evidence to support his claims, which L. Lin Wood, Unsworth’s attorney, denied.
Unsworth started caving when he was 16 years old and was involved in several cave rescues in the UK, according to the lawsuit. He met his current girlfriend in Thailand in 2011. She is a 40-year-old owner of a local nail salon.
On June 24, Unsworth received a phone call from his girlfriend’s father about the cave incident. He traveled to the cave on the same day and began assisting in the rescue, according the lawsuit.
In addition to a monetary award, Unsworth is seeking a restraining order that prevents Musk from making further public accusations.
«Elon Musk falsely accused Vernon Unsworth of being guilty of heinous crimes,» attorney Wood said in an emailed statement. «Musk’s influence and wealth cannot convert his lies into truth or protect him from accountability for his wrongdoing in a court of law.»
A representative for Musk didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
