When I'm not hosting this podcast, I am writing books, but it is really hard for me to write when I'm at home, so I like to find remote cabins in the middle of nowhere to just hang out and write. But I hate the idea of my house just sitting empty, doing nothing but collecting dust and definitely not collecting checks. And that's why I'm an Airbnb host. It's one of my all-time favorite side hustles. Other popular side hustles are awesome, too, don't get me wrong, but they often involve big startup costs. By hosting your space, you're monetizing what you already have access to. It It doesn't get easier than that. And if you're new to the side hustle game and you're anxious about getting started, don't worry, because you're not in this alone. Airbnb makes it super easy to host. I mean, if I could do it, you could do it. And your home might be worth a lot more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb. Com/airbnb. Host. Money rehabbers, you have money hidden in your house. Yeah, just hiding there in plain sight. Okay, so I don't mean you have gold bars hidden somewhere in walls, treasure map style, but you do have a money-making opportunity that you're just leaving on the table if you're hosting on Airbnb.

It's one of my all-time favorite side hustles. By hosting your space, you are monetizing what you already own. It doesn't get easier than that. For me, hosting on Airbnb has always been a no-brainer. When I first signed up, I remember thinking to myself, Soph, you pay a lot of money for your house. It is time that house return the favor. And to get real with you for a sec, I felt so much guilt before treating myself on vacation because traveling can be so expensive. But since hosting on Airbnb, I feel zero stress for treating myself to a much-needed vacation because having Airbnb guests stay at my house when I'm traveling helps offset the cost of my travel. So it's such a win-win. I mean, if I could do it, you could do it. And your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb. Com/host. I'm Nicole Lappin, the only financial expert you don't need a dictionary to understand. It's time for some money rehab. If you've been Netflix and chilling recently, and I'm literally not the euphemism, you've probably seen the show Baby Reindier trending on Netflix. And maybe you've clicked on it.

If you did, you know the story. It's a mini-series starring Richard Gad, who created the show around a true story of his own experience being stalked by a woman that he names Martha in the series. But the quote, true story element of this series is now being contested by the real Martha, whose name is Fiona Harvey. Harvey is suing Netflix for $170 million over alleged defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Defamation lawsuits are tools of justice. These suits can award monetary damages to someone who's been seriously wronged. But defamation goes beyond just hurting somebody's feelings. Today, I'm going to unpack what defamation really means, how this price tag is so cuckoo bananas, the burden of proof you need to meet if you're bringing a defamation lawsuit against someone, and some real-life examples of when that burden of proof was met and when it wasn't. By the end of the episode, I want you to be able to decode the fallout from this baby reindear lawsuit as it continues to unfold with these staggering numbers, and maybe know what you need to do if you're ever itching to sue someone for defamation. So like I said, defamation is not just saying something mean about someone else.

Defamation is a legal term that describes a scenario where someone makes a false statement about a person but presents it as fact, and that false statement damages the character of the person it's about. There are two biggie forms of defamation: libel, which is is written defamation, like defamation in articles, books, Instagram captions, and slander, which is spoken defamation, like defamation that happens in speeches, conversations, podcast interviews. We don't do that here, of course, so no one accuse me of slander, please, and thank you. The presentation is key here. For a statement to be considered defamatory, it must be false but presented as fact, not presented as opinion. So if I say, I think Bob is a terrible person, that's just my opinion, not defamation. But if I say something like, Bob is a thief, without any factual basis for the accusation, it could be considered defamatory if it harms Bob's reputation and is proven false. As part of a defamation case, there will be a case for monetary damages. There are typically three types of monetary damages in defamation trials. First, there are compensatory damages, which exist to compensate someone for lost earnings, loss of future earnings, or emotional distress.

Then there punitive damages. I like to think of that as a punishment tax. Punitive damages are designed to serve as a penalty that deters future defamation. And lastly, there are nominal charges. These are small amounts awarded when defamation is proven, but substantial harm isn't shown. The breakdown of Harvey's 170 million, according to the complaint, is at least 50 million for compensatory damages, including mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of business. At least 50 million for all profits from Baby Reindier, and at least 20 million for punitive damages. If you're suing someone for defamation, you're saddled with meeting the burden of proof that has a pretty high bar. You need to prove the statement about you was false, that the statement was communicated to at least one other person, that the statement caused harm to your reputation, career, or mental health, that the statement was not protected by any legal privilege, and if the person you're accusing is a public figure, you would need to prove malice. In other words, that public figure made a statement about you knowing full well it was completely wrong, or they just didn't care about the truth, or if the person you're accusing of defamation is a private individual, you just need to prove that they were negligent.

So let's double click on the burden of proof in the Baby Reindier case. Fiona Harvey needs to prove that the statements about her were false but presented as truth. About a minute and a half into the first episode, text on the screen reads, This is a true story, so she'll probably Probably be able to check that presented as truth box. She also needs to prove that these statements were communicated to more than one person. Another easy one. The show was trending on Netflix. A whole lot of people watched it. That's that. Harvey also needs to prove that the statements in the show caused her harm, so she'll need to show evidence of loss of income, mental anguish, or financial records showing lost business. Then we get to an even trickier territory: privilege. Harvey needs to prove that the statements in Baby Reindier are not protected by privilege, meaning deserving of protection. Some legal experts are predicting that Netflix will use the First Amendment defense. Free speech is certainly protected, so that's going to be a tricky argument on both sides. Now, how hard is it for someone to win a defamation case over a huge company like Netflix?

Well, similar cases have been won before. In 1981, the beloved comedian, Carol Burnet, sued the National Enquiry for libel after the tabloid falsely claimed she was drunk and disorderly in a restaurant. In In the trial, Burnet presented evidence that she was not drunk or disorderly, and she testified about the emotional distress and potential damage to her career that this piece had caused. Burnet won the suit and was awarded $1.6 million in damages, and because malice was shown on the part of the inquirer, included in that 1.6 million was 300 grand in punitive damages. Again, the punishment tax. Defamation trials are by no means a slam dunk. In 2022, Sarah Palin lost a defamation defamation case that she brought against the New York Times in 2017 that falsely linked an ad from Palin's pack to a mass shooting that occurred months later. In that case, Palin was unsuccessful because her lawyers did not sufficiently prove that the incorrect statement was an intentional misrepresentation. And also, some defamation cases can be unsuccessful even if they win. In 1997, McDonalds won a defamation lawsuit against activists in a legal showdown that's known as the McLeibel case. In that case, McDonald sued environmental activists for distributing pamphlets that accused McDonald's of various unethical practices, including mistreatment of workers and animals and contributing to environmental degradation.

Mcdonald's proved that some of the claims in the pamphlets were false, and that the pamphlets harmed its reputation and caused financial losses. However, the court only awarded McDonald's £40,000 in damages. The publicity from the trial and the that the activists were able to prove that some of their statements were indeed true, ultimately did more harm to McDonald's public image, and probably caused more monetary damage than the initial pamphlet caused in the first place. Fiona Harvey's case will possibly take years to resolve. Earlier this month, in fact, Netflix settled a defamation lawsuit brought on by Linda Fährstein, the former Manhattan prosecutor involved in the Central Park Five case, who was depicted in a 2019 docuseries about the case. Fährstein filed the suit in 2020, and it was settled four years later. So following the $170 million money trail of this baby Reindier case will certainly not be quick, but it will be juicy. For today's tip, you can take straight to the bank. If you're a freelancer, here's a reminder to create an LLC for your business. If, God forbid, you're sued for something you created through your work, if you have an LLC in place, you can be protected from the suit targeting your personal assets.

Money rehabbers, you have money hidden in your house. Yeah, just hiding there in plain sight. Okay, so I don't mean you have gold bars hidden somewhere in walls, treasure map style, but you do have a money-making opportunity that you're just leaving on the table if you're not hosting on Airbnb. It's one of my all-time favorite side hustles. By hosting your space, you are monetizing what you already own. It doesn't get easier than that. For me, hosting on Airbnb has always been a no-brainer. When I first signed up, I remember thinking to myself, self, you pay a lot of money for your house. It is time that house return the favor. And to get real with you for a sec, I so much guilt before treating myself on vacation because traveling can be so expensive. But since hosting on Airbnb, I feel zero stress for treating myself to a much-needed vacation because having Airbnb guests stay at my house when I'm traveling helps offset the cost of my travel. So it's such a win-win. I mean, if I could do it, you could do it. And your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.

Com/host. Money Rehabbers, I got to tell you, I just got back from Industrius, and I am upset Best. Industrius is a company that provides co-working spaces and flexible office solutions for modern businesses, entrepreneurs, and remote employees who don't just want to work from their bedroom. I live in LA, as you know, and I travel a ton. And when I do, I always worry about finding a good place to work with a strong WiFi connection and a legit desk situation. Industrius has a ton of different locations in major cities, so it really gives me the peace of mind that I have a home away from home when it comes to getting stuff done. But when I am at home, I love the Westwood location's floor to ceiling windows. It just makes you feel like you're on top of the world, which is definitely the vibe you want when you're trying to take over the world. I also love the telephone booths they have that allow you to take private calls there. But also, if you have a Zoom, there's a ring light because Zooms are always better that way. We know this. Go to industriusoffice. Com, click Join Now, and use the code MoneyRehab to redeem a whole free week of co-working when you take a tour.

A whole free week. Free. It's my favorite price. Moneyrehab is a production of Money News Network. I'm your host, Nicole Lappin. Money Rehab's executive producer is Morgan LaVoy. Our researcher is Emily Holmes. Do you need some money rehab? And let's be honest, we all do. So email us your moneyquestions, moneyrehab@moneynewsnetwork. Com, to potentially have your questions answered on the show or even have a one-on-one intervention with me. And follow us on Instagram at Moneynews and TikTok at Moneynews Network for exclusive video content. And lastly, thank you. No, seriously, thank you. Thank you for listening. And for investing in yourself, which is the most important investment you can make. Money rehabbers, you have money hidden in your house. Yeah, just hiding there in plain sight. Okay, so I don't mean you have gold bars hidden somewhere in walls, treasure map style, but you do have a money-making opportunity that you're just leaving on the table if you're not hosting on Airbnb. It's one of my all-time favorite side hustles. By hosting your space, you are monetizing what you already own. It doesn't get easier than that. For me, hosting on Airbnb has always been a no-brainer.

When I first signed up, I remember thinking to myself, Soph, you pay a lot of money for your house. It is time that house return the favor. And to get real with you for a sec, I felt so much guilt before treating myself on vacation because traveling can be so expensive. But since hosting on Airbnb, I feel zero stress for treating myself to a much-needed vacation because having Airbnb guests stay at my house when I'm traveling helps offset the cost of my travel. So it's such a win-win. I mean, if I could do it, you could do it. And your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb. Com/host. Money rehabbers, you have money hidden in your house. Yeah, just hiding there in plain sight. Okay, so I don't mean you have gold bars hidden somewhere in walls, treasure map style, but you do have a money-making opportunity that you're just leaving on the table if you're not hosting on Airbnb. It's one of my all-time favorite side hustles. By hosting your space, you are monetizing what you already own. It doesn't get easier than that. For me, hosting on Airbnb has always been a no-brainer.

When I first signed up, I remember thinking to myself, Self, you pay a lot of money for your house. It is time that house return the favor. And to get real with you for a sec, I felt so much guilt before treating myself on vacation because traveling can be so expensive. But since hosting on Airbnb, I feel zero stress for treating myself to a much-needed vacation because having helps offset the cost of my travel. So it's such a win-win. I mean, if I could do it, you could do it. And your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb. Com/host.