Jerry Seinfeld Court Papers: It's Free Speech!

Jerry Seinfeld insisted yesterday he ought to be the master of his own comic domain.

Seinfeld didn't slander the woman who accused his wife of ripping off her cookbook, he said in legal papers filed yesterday in Manhattan federal court.

He was just mining the legal system for laughs - and supporting the right of standup comedians to do the same, he said.

Seinfeld cited several episodes of the "show about nothing" where he mocked frivolous lawsuits - including an episode where Kramer wins free coffee for life in a court settlement because he got burned on gourmet roast.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[txgal44]

I can't stand Jerry or his wife. She left her brand new husband for that a**! Then she goes on Oprah with her nasty a** recipes and then claims it's her idea. Oh, and then she hands Oprah 10 or 12 pairs of Christian Louboutins and Oprah just gushes! That was one of the few times I was really disappointed in Oprah. Jerry and his wife deserve each other! I hope this woman gets lots of his money! He sucks!!

[ImpalaSuperSport]

nice.

[RushLiberal]

Just seem odd to me that when someone of Jewish descent slanders someone - it's comedy - but when someone slanders a JEW it is defamation.

Stating this to someone at a party is a joke - saying things like this on National Television because of your FAME is NOT FREE Speech - it is a calculated effort to ridicule someone.

And free speech from a comedians standpoint is premeditated - as the comedians practice their lines in advance and are WELL THOUGHT OUT.

This was a Premeditated attack from Jerry.

[lolyla]

He's a comedian! Of course he's going to try to get laughs out of a lawsuit, and he is within his rights to do so. The three-named person should have known there was a possibility of public recourse when she sued a very high profile person. She should have expected public humiliation given that he is a comedian.

So she got her feelings hurt. Boo hoo. She's asking for millions of dollars and a chance to ride to fame and fortune on someone else's coattails. If she wins, money should assuage any hard feelings. If she doesn't win, she knew that losing was a possible outcome of the suit. If this case were solely about plagiarism, she might have garnered more sympathy. Adding defamation is outrageous and ridiculous. She can't be defamed when she wasn't famous in the first place. Good luck to Mr. Seinfeld and his wife. I'm glad he didn't settle to shut her up -- he'll let the courts shut her up.

[Charity]

you have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. he defamed her. she's suing. it wasn't vice versa.

[CKieffer]

Jerry should have kept his mouth shut since it didn't involve him... he didn't.

I personally hope the court rules in her favor and that Seinfeld gets exposed as the one selfish/infantile note wonder that he is.

[happycat]

I totally agree. Jerry and his wife really disgust me.

[ChezMJ]

No wonder Seinfeld supported "Kramer" after his racist rant. He supports "free speech" that is mean speech.

Like this--Jerry, I think your eyes are moving even closer together, making you look even more like a weasel.

[ailbhe]

You have the freedom to make jokes about whatever you want. You do not have the freedom to smear another person and lead people to believe that what you are saying is true.

People have the right to be protected from defamation, otherwise anybody can be falsely labeled a child molester, murderer, or whatever lie a person chooses to spread about them.

'Humour' is no defense for destroying another persons life and undermining their character with vile accusations.

[duckcrackers]

Will his best buddy James Alexander aka Nelson from Seinfeldt be there?

[lolyla]

What?

[duckcrackers]

You know the bald guy...Nelson..the one who was Seinfeldt's friend.

[Bystander]

If Jerry needs a lawyer, John Edwards is available...he's not doing anything since he flushed his political career down the toilet.

[duckcrackers]

Edwards is actually busy- he's in talks with CNN to host a show with Ernest Borgnine.

[Bystander]

That's a political career?

[Topfeeder]

Jerry is a 1st class ass. He dated a high school girl (Shoshanna Lonstein) and bought Jessica from her brand new husband. She was a newlywed when Jerry saw her at the gym and just had to have her. Guess they saw the recipes for kids and just had to have them too. I hope the woman suing gets millions and an apology.

[WolfLarsen]

It would be free speech if people didn't have to pay to hear it.

[WolfLarsen]

Maybe she could steal some of his jokes in return.....but he ran out of those years ago. Please Jerry just shut-up pay the lady off for being an offensive gasbag and go back to making mediocre animated features that not even a kid could love.

I think Michael Richards might have a seat at the has been table for you. It turns out your act really was about nothing......funny that is.

[duckcrackers]

Man you people are angry- so what if his wife ripped off this woman't book and claimed at as her own. I mean it's not like she has to work anyway. I think she should be applauded as a hero. At least she had to pretend to work. Maybe she did it to see if she could get away with it. Go have a Big Mac and watch reality tv-you'll feel better. In fact bring me back a large order fries, but don't supersize it. I'm trying to drop a few.

[Prism]

I hope the courts clean his clock (not to mention his bank account!)

[duckcrackers]

Can't she do both- Why limit her?

[Basil]

Jerry needs to understand that we all know he wasn't making a "joke" about the lawsuit. What he did was attack Ms. Lapine in a very personal way. Shame on you and your wife.

[LiberalBuzz]

Slandering someone the way Seinfeld did is NOT funny. If he wants to use his 1st Amendment rights, he should stand up, apologize to the woman and then admit his wife DID steal the woman's ideas. Some word for word.

WHY she did it is what is strange. Her husband is rich beyond belief, she doesn't need any money so I guess she did all of this for pure ego and wanting to get some of the TV spotlight her husband always has.

So Jerry use your 1st Amendment rights and to the right thing.

[TRYKER]

Its funny how being a crook and a slanderer tends to make a former comic...not even funny.
Referring to fictional lawsuits is such a slam dunk legal maneuver...that should just automatically push that Judge to rule on his side...NOT.
They should have settled this immediately and paid the lady for ripping off her cook book and APOLOGIZED.
Instead, following this ill-advised pathway has earned him more and more scorn as he continues to assume he is above the law. He wouldn't be a republican, would he?