NEW YORK: A Manhattan judge has tossed out a defamation lawsuit against Fox News brought by the former Playboy model who took a $150,000 payoff to squelch her story of an affair with a pre-presidency Donald Trump.
Karen McDougal had alleged in the suit filed late last year that Fox host Tucker Carlson slandered her by calling the payout a classic case of extortion. U.S. District Court Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil ruled on Thursday that McDougal failed to prove that Carlson was accusing her of an actual crime in a way that would back up a defamation claim.
The judge called the on-air remarks rhetorical hyperbole and opinion commentary intended to frame a political debate, and as such, are not actionable as defamation, the judge said in a written ruling.
Messages were left on Thursday with lawyers on both sides of the legal…