Alan Dershowitz has threatened to sue comedian Bassem Youssef after a heated exchange on Piers Morgan Uncensored over the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. The 87-year-old former Harvard law professor clashed with Youssef, 51, after the comedian accused him of settling a sexual abuse lawsuit for nearly a million dollars.
Dershowitz denied the accusation, stating that a woman who had falsely accused him dropped all charges and that no money was paid. He referenced a federal defamation lawsuit filed by Virginia Giuffre in 2019, which was dropped in 2022 when Giuffre conceded she may have misidentified him. No fees were awarded to either side.
During the broadcast, Dershowitz declared, 'You are now going to be sued for saying I paid a million dollars,' and later added, 'I'm instructing my lawyers to file a lawsuit against him.' Youssef maintained his claim, citing a New Yorker article titled 'Alan Dershowitz, Devil's Advocate,' though the article did not state a million-dollar settlement.
The argument escalated as Dershowitz called Youssef a liar and accused him of making antisemitic and anti-Israel statements. Piers Morgan attempted to intervene but the two continued to shout over each other. The segment ended with Dershowitz discussing genocide and other atrocities, earning a sarcastic thumbs-up from Youssef.
Dershowitz, known for representing controversial figures such as OJ Simpson and Donald Trump, has a history of issuing legal threats. Last summer, he threatened to sue a Martha's Vineyard vendor for alleged discrimination over pierogi sales.
