Kyle Rittenhouse, a teen who became well known after he shot and killed at a racial protest in Wisconsin, is now suing Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James and a couple of other famous people for what appears to be defamation.
“Kyle Rittenhouse intends to sue LeBron James … after he says the NBA superstar defamed him during his murder trial late last year to his 50+ million fans on social media,” wrote TMZ.com.
“And, he’s not just going after The King … he also says he’s going after President Joe Biden and Whoopi Goldberg, among others.”
When Rittenhouse was on trial for homicide, he appeared to break down and cry while testifying on the witness stand about the events that took place.
James didn’t buy Rittenhouse’s tears, and the four-time MVP tweeted that he thought they were crocodile tears. Rittenhouse felt insulted by James’ accusation.
“KR obviously saw Bron’s message, and now he intends to sue the hooper,” wrote TMZ.com.
“Of course, recently, Rittenhouse reacted to LeBron’s tweet, saying he actually used to be a fan of LeBron but has since said, ‘F*** him!’”
The Rittenhouse case became heavily politicized, with progressives calling for his conviction because they felt he went to the protest with malicious intentions, while conservatives praised him for exercising his Second Amendment rights.
James has been outspoken over the last several years about racial and social issues, which has made him somewhat polarizing.
He already has a lot on his plate right now, as the Lakers are trying to rectify what has been a hugely disappointing season.
The Akron, Ohio native and his agency, Klutch Sports, have been rumored to be at odds with Lakers management because of their lackluster roster and their inability or unwillingness to make a move prior to the trading deadline earlier this month.
There are rumors that James is now considering leaving the Lakers as soon as he can, although a recent report from NBA insider Shams Charania says that James plans to stay in the Purple and Gold for the “foreseeable future.”
