Rothlein v. W.W. Norton & Co.

185 Misc. 2d 66, 712 N.Y.S.2d 279, 29 Media L. Rep. (BNA) 1023, 2000 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 302
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedJune 13, 2000
StatusPublished

This text of 185 Misc. 2d 66 (Rothlein v. W.W. Norton & Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Rothlein v. W.W. Norton & Co., 185 Misc. 2d 66, 712 N.Y.S.2d 279, 29 Media L. Rep. (BNA) 1023, 2000 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 302 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2000).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Richard F. Braun, J.

This is an action for libel. Plaintiff sued the authors and publishers of a book and article in which he claims he was defamed. Defendant The Conde Nast Publications, Inc. (Conde Nast), the publisher of the article, has already had its motion to dismiss the complaint granted, pursuant to CPLR 3211 (a) (7), for failure to state a cause of action (Riccardi, “Vanity Fair” [68]*68Wins Dismissal From Dali Profile Libel Suit, NYLJ, Mar. 1, 2000, at 1, col 3; Rothlein v Norton & Co., Mar. 3, 2000, at 26, col 5 [Sup Ct, NY County]). Now, defendant John Richardson (Richardson), the author of the article, moves to dismiss the complaint, pursuant to CPLR 3211 (a) (8), (7) and/or (c), for lack of personal jurisdiction and failure to state a cause of action. Separately, defendants W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. (WW Norton) and Ian Gibson (Gibson), the publisher and author of the book, respectively, move to dismiss the complaint, pursuant to CPLR 3211 (a) (5) and/or (c), based on the Statute of Limitations. Plaintiff cross-moves against that motion for leave to conduct discovery, pursuant to CPLR 3211 (d).

Defendant Gibson wrote a book called The Shameful Life of Salvador Dali (the book). He had previously published a prize winning book on Federico Garcia Lorca. In the book at issue, defendant Gibson discusses the effects of certain people’s actions on one of the 20th century’s most flamboyant artists, Salvador Dali, particularly those of his wife, Gala. She, as plaintiff concedes, had an intimate relationship with plaintiff, which began in the early 1960’s, when he was a handsome young actor. Plaintiff complains that he was defamed in the book where defendant Gibson said that plaintiff was a drug addict, was temporarily weaned off drugs by Gala, failed a screen test for Federico Fellini’s movie, Giulietta degli Spiriti (Juliet of the Spirits), and died soon thereafter of an overdose. Plaintiff alleges that all those statements in the book were untrue.

Defendant Richardson wrote an article about the book, which appeared in Vanity Fair magaziné, a publication of defendant Conde Nast. In the article, he makes a general statement that he could testify to the accuracy of defendant Gibson’s account in the book. Defendant Richardson wrote that in the 1970’s he was a vice-president of M. Knoedler & Co., Salvador Dali’s art dealers, and that plaintiff was a “junkie,” whom Gala “had weaned off drugs,” “failed a screen test for a walk-on part in a Fellini movie,” and “died of an overdose” shortly thereafter. Plaintiff alleges that all those statements about him were false.

Plaintiff contends that, in publishing the statements in the book and the article, defendants were grossly irresponsible, negligent, willful, wanton, or reckless in disregard of the truth, or failed to take proper steps to determine the accuracy of the assertions. In his complaint, plaintiff sought $250,000 in compensatory damages and $1,000,000 in punitive damages from each defendant.

CPLR 308 (2) provides that a natural person can be served with a summons by delivering a copy thereof to a person of [69]*69suitable age and discretion at the actual place of business, dwelling place, or usual place of abode of the person to be served, and by mailing a copy of the summons to him or her at his or her last known residence or actual place of business. The affidavit of service of the summons and complaint in this action alleges that defendant Richardson was served at his place of business with the summons and complaint by personally delivering a copy thereof to the director of employee programs at defendant Conde Nast and by mailing a copy of the summons and complaint to defendant Richardson there. Plaintiff argues that he could serve defendant Richardson at the office of defendant Conde Nast because defendant Richardson is listed in defendant Conde Nast’s publication, Vanity Fair magazine, as one of its contributing editors.

Defendant Richardson admits that he is a contributing editor to Vanity Fair magazine. He contends that only means that he submits articles to that magazine on a freelance basis, and states that he is not employed by defendant Conde Nast and that the offices of defendant Conde Nast are not his actual place of business, dwelling place, or usual place of abode, nor does he have an office there or work at those premises. This is all corroborated by an affidavit from the legal affairs editor of Vanity Fair, who further states that defendant Richardson does not perform any editorial or other function for Vanity Fair besides the submission of articles.

The term “actual place of business” includes that location that the person to be served, “through regular solicitation or advertisement, has held out as [his or her] place of business.” (CPLR 308 [6].) The fact that defendant Richardson’s name is on the masthead of Vanity Fair does not mean that its office is his actual place of business.

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Bluebook (online)
185 Misc. 2d 66, 712 N.Y.S.2d 279, 29 Media L. Rep. (BNA) 1023, 2000 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 302, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rothlein-v-ww-norton-co-nysupct-2000.