Chapter 04 of 5
Libel and the Lexicon
The $2.5 million lawsuit that put the definition of 'truth' on trial.
- The Filing
War by Other Means
In 1980, Lillian Hellman officially filed a $2.5 million libel suit against Mary McCarthy. The literary world was stunned as a war of words became a war of lawyers.
- Legal Theory
The 'And' and 'The' Defense
Hellman’s lawyers argued that McCarthy’s insult wasn't just hyperbole. They claimed it branded Hellman a pathological liar, damaging her professional standing.
- Mechanism
Defining Defamation
Under U.S. law, libel requires proving 'actual malice' against public figures. McCarthy had to prove she believed her statement was true or lacked reckless disregard.
17 more cards in this chapter
Could you answer this?
Which unexpected figure helped fund Mary McCarthy's legal defense because he viewed the lawsuit as a threat to all critics?
✒️ The Ink-Stained Feud of the Century
- 01Partisans and ProseThe mid-century literary scene where aesthetic and political lines were drawn.
- 02The Art of the MemoirHow Hellman’s 'Pentimento' sparked a debate over truth versus creative license.
- 03The Dick Cavett IncidentThe televised insult that turned a private grudge into a public spectacle.
- 04Libel and the LexiconThe $2.5 million lawsuit that put the definition of 'truth' on trial.
- 05The Unfinished ChapterHow the feud ended in a stalemate and reshaped the ethics of life writing.