Hunter Biden drops lawsuit against Fox News over 'mock trial' miniseries

[July 22, 2024]  (Reuters) - Hunter Biden has dropped a lawsuit against Fox News for publishing nude photos and videos of him in a fictionalized "mock trial" show focused on his foreign dealings, according to a court filing by his lawyers on Sunday.  

Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, departs the federal court with his wife Melissa Cohen Biden, on the second day of his trial on criminal gun charges in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S., June 4, 2024. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/ File Photo

The filing did not give a reason for the voluntary dismissal of the suit. ABC News reported that Hunter, who is the son of President Joe Biden, dropped the suit with the intention of refiling it against new defendants, citing a person familiar with the younger Biden's legal strategy.

A spokesperson for Fox News Media told news website Axios the company was reiterating previous comments that the lawsuit was "politically motivated" and "devoid of merit."

Lawyers for Hunter Biden and Fox News and media representatives for Fox News did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Fox aired "The Trial of Hunter Biden: A Mock Trial for the American People" on its Fox Nation streaming platform in October 2022 but took it down in April this year under the threat of a lawsuit by Hunter Biden's attorneys.

Hunter Biden filed the lawsuit earlier this month.

The TV series depicted a fictional trial of Hunter Biden on illegal foreign lobbying and bribery charges, crimes he has not been indicted for, and includes photos and videos of Biden in the nude and engaged in sex acts, according to the lawsuit.

The dismissal of the suit comes hours after Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race under pressure from fellow Democrats.

(Reporting by Angela Christy in Bengaluru; Editing by Tom Hogue)

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