In a notable legal maneuver, Hunter Biden has decided to drop a lawsuit against Fox News, which accused the network of unlawfully broadcasting sexually explicit images of him. This case marks the second time Biden has initiated legal action against the conservative media outlet and subsequently dismissed it voluntarily. The legal disputes were initiated in light of a 2022 digital miniseries that portrayed a dramatized “mock trial,” focusing on Biden’s financial dealings abroad.
The legal representation for Hunter Biden, the son of former President Joe Biden, asserted that Fox News contravened “revenge porn” laws and engaged in defamatory practices against him. However, the specifics regarding why the case was abruptly withdrawn by the Biden legal team remain unclear. This withdrawal came shortly after their attempt to transition the case to New York state court was denied.
In response to the lawsuit’s withdrawal, a spokesperson from Fox News Media expressed satisfaction, stating, “We are pleased to move on now that Hunter Biden has finally voluntarily withdrawn this meritless case which proved to be nothing more than a politically motivated stunt.” This statement underscores the media outlet’s perspective that the claims brought forth against them lacked substantial validity.
The Fox series that instigated the lawsuit delved into Hunter Biden’s lucrative business dealings in regions like Ukraine and China while his father served as vice president. The series also highlighted his well-documented struggles with addiction and various personal challenges, notably revealing intimate images of him with different women, which were reported to have originated from his notorious laptop.
Hunter Biden’s legal battles have been quite tumultuous. After initially warning of legal action in April 2024, Fox took down the miniseries from its Fox Nation streaming platform. Subsequently, he filed a lawsuit against Fox in the summer, later withdrew it after a few weeks, and then refiled a new lawsuit in October. The most recent withdrawal states that his lawyers have dismissed the case “with prejudice,” which signifies that he is barred from re-filing the same lawsuit in the future.
Despite facing numerous legal challenges, including last year’s conviction on federal gun charges and a guilty plea regarding tax offenses linked to his international deals, Hunter Biden has not faced allegations of illegally lobbying U.S. officials on behalf of foreign clients, contrary to what the Fox miniseries insinuated. Just before a potential sentencing looming over him, his father controversially issued a pardon in December, reversing his earlier commitments not to offer clemency.
This recent lawsuit withdrawal is part of a broader trend, with Hunter Biden also having voluntarily dismissed other significant legal actions. This includes a lawsuit regarding his laptop against a former aide from the Trump administration, as well as a recent retraction of his case against the IRS. His IRS case, filed in 2023, contended that two whistleblowers breached federal privacy laws by divulging his tax return data to a House committee led by Republicans, further complicating his already strained legal footing.
The whistleblowers in question, namely Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler, were elevated to more prominent roles in the IRS during the Trump administration and are affiliated with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Notably, Shapley was briefly appointed as the acting IRS commissioner before being dismissed following intervention from Bessent.
In light of these developments, the IRS whistleblowers suggested that Hunter Biden’s hesitance to pursue these legal claims further indicates a lack of resolve to confront the issues head-on in court, as they remarked, “We truly wanted our day in court to provide the complete story, but it appears Mr. Biden was afraid to actually fight this case in a court of law after all.” This statement encapsulates the contentious and fraught nature of Biden’s ongoing involvement with legal disputes that continue to unfold in the public eye.