(Photo Credit: John Locher for AP)
Conservative commentator Benny Johnson appears to be gearing up to sue Milo Yiannopoulos, after the British provocateur claimed Johnson’s family man image is bogus and that it is an open secret he has slept with “boys” at political conferences.
“I am duty bound to take action to protect my family against those who maliciously defame and attack us. More to come on that soon,” Johnson posted on X on Sunday.
He then asked for his 4 million followers to “pray for healing for some really sick and delusional people. Jesus is about redemption. The legal system is about justice.”
Johnson did not reference Yiannopoulos specifically. But it looks like a good bet that is who he was talking about, considering his wife, Kate Johnson, posted a few hours earlier that Yiannopoulos “needs prayer. And a good attorney.”
The potential lawsuit comes two days after Yiannopoulos accused Johnson of being a not-so-stealth gay man on Tim Pool’s podcast.
“Benny Johnson posts pictures of his children every two days, it’s weird. And everybody knows what went on with Benny Johnson in those lobbies and in those hotel rooms at SAS,” Yiannopoulos said, referring to Turning Point USA’s annual Studen Action Summit. “Everybody knows.”
His guest on the episode, recently-freed ex-Congressman George Santos (R-NY), said he did not know what he was talking about.
“Men, younger men. Not underage, at least I don’t know that. His wife was crying drunk in the lobby three SASs in a row, about how her husband was upstairs with boys!”
“Come on,” Santos said.
“Go ask her!” Yiannopoulos yelped.
“Milo, aren’t you ever scared of getting sued?” Santos marveled.
Yiannopoulos said he is not worried about it, because he is “right” and always has his facts straight.
Yiannopoulos responded to both Johnsons on Sunday evening.
“I know more about defamation than any lawyer you will hire,” he said in a lengthy X post. “Benny is a public figure. Malice is a nonstarter. I have receipts, and the truth is a total defense against any claim of defamation or libel. Do you want to lose a defamation case to MILO YIANNOPOULOS OF ALL PEOPLE about whether or not you are gay?”
