DALLAS (KRLD) - Former Dallas Cowboys linebacker Robert Jones has won the right to continue his defamation suit against the TV show TMZ. In a split opinion, the Supreme Court of Texas said TMZ cannot get the case brought by Jones dismissed on its face.
The dispute dates back to 2014 when Jones's cousin was released from prison. According to the opinion, Jones' cousin, Theodore Watson, devised a plan to extort money out of Jones. He took a made-up story to TMZ that Jones tried to hire Watson to kill his own agent.
The claim ran on TMZ before Jones' lawyer replied.
An "update" was put on the TMZ website giving the denial, but Jones says damage was done. He sued.
TMZ tried to get the complaint dismissed before a trial can take place, but in its ruling, the Supreme Court held Jones has the right to continue. The lawsuit moves back to a trial court for further proceedings.