Hunter Biden said he is 'grateful that the rule of law prevailed' in a defamation lawsuit that netted him $1.7m in punitive damages from former Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne. The judgment was handed down by US district judge Stephen Wilson in a California federal court on Friday.
In a social media post, Biden cited part of the ruling that stated Byrne 'is not credible, fabricates awesome and farfetched narratives to garner attention in the media, and fabricated the defamatory story at issue in this case to damage the plaintiff's reputation.' Biden added that Wilson's 'order … speaks for itself.'
Background of the lawsuit
Biden sued Byrne in 2023, alleging that Byrne lied in an interview by claiming that Hunter Biden had solicited a bribe from Iran's government in 2021. At the time, Biden's father, Joe Biden, was US president. Byrne, an ally of Donald Trump, had funded efforts to overturn Trump's 2020 election loss to Joe Biden.
According to the lawsuit, Byrne falsely stated that Hunter Biden offered to have his father 'unfreeze' $8bn in frozen Iranian assets and ensure the US would 'go easy' on Iran during nuclear talks, in exchange for an $800m bribe. The lawsuit argued that Byrne 'made, published and repeated false and defamatory statements knowing full well that the statements are false, for the purpose of subjecting plaintiff to harassment, intimidation, and harm.'
Court ruling and damages
In his order, Wilson wrote that Byrne had previously disputed making the statements with 'actual malice,' the legal standard Biden needed to meet. Byrne claimed he believed the statements were true because an Iranian official had told him about the alleged scheme. However, Wilson noted that Byrne never alleged the official had direct contact with Biden and failed to provide any documentary evidence supporting his claims.
The case was scheduled for a jury trial in October, but Byrne 'failed to appear' and fired his lead attorney, causing delays. Wilson sanctioned Byrne by finding him in default and awarded Biden $1 in nominal damages and $1.7m in punitive damages, along with $35,000 in court sanctions.
Some legal commentators noted that Byrne lost on procedural grounds rather than substantive ones, as the case never went to trial. Nonetheless, Biden's attorney, Bryan Sullivan, stated on Saturday that they would 'be back in court' if Byrne repeated the falsehoods.
Broader context
The judgment came after Joe Biden pardoned his son for federal gun and tax convictions, as Trump prepared to begin his second presidency in early 2025. Days before the damages award, Biden appeared on the Friends Keep Secrets podcast, discussing how his Secret Service detail was canceled in March 2025 after Laura Loomer shared a photo of him with his family in South Africa. Biden said they were in Cape Town because the Palisades wildfire in Los Angeles prevented their return to their Malibu home.
Additionally, TMZ reported that Biden sat for a recorded discussion with Maga influencer Nick Fuentes and 'nearly came to blows,' with YouTube personality Andrew Callaghan also involved. The conversation is reportedly set to launch later in July. Biden has recently been active on Substack and social media, covering topics like politics, mental health, and addiction recovery.
