Kevin O’Leary claimed opposition to his Utah data center was fueled by Chinese money. Now he and Fox News are being sued for defamation

In May, Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary blamed alleged Chinese Communist Party-adjacent actors for an influx of what he characterized as bot-written comments flooding his social media accounts in opposition to his proposal to build one of Utah’s largest data centers. Now, those accusations may be coming back to bite him.

On Wednesday, two Utah-based political organizations and their founders brought a defamation lawsuit against O’Leary and Fox News—where he made some of those comments—arguing his characterization of their alleged ties to the CCP had caused irreparable reputational harm.

In the suit, filed in Utah Federal District Court, the Alliance for a Better Utah and Elevate Strategies allege the Shark Tank star’s comments caused “devastating reputational harm, significant economic losses, severe emotional distress, and ongoing threats to their physical safety.” 

Joshua Kanter, founder of Alliance for a Better Utah, and Gabrielle Finlayson, a founder of Elevate Strategies, are the named plaintiffs in the suit. They are seeking compensatory damages to be determined...