Trials & Litigation
7th Circuit upholds ‘Are We Dating the Same Guy?’ ruling, muses sanctions for ‘fictitious’ citations
A Facebook page under the name “Are We Dating the Same Guy?” was at issue in a recent ruling by a federal appeals court. (Image from Shutterstock)
A Facebook page under the name “Are We Dating the Same Guy?” was at issue in a recent ruling by a federal appeals court.
The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at Chicago has refused to revive a Chicago-area man’s lawsuit of allegedly false reports of his “obnoxious behavior” on the Facebook page, while the appeals court is also considering sanctions for a brief containing “fictitious” citations.
Nikko D’Ambrosio alleged that he was defamed on the Facebook page through postings made by Abbigail Rajala, a previous dating partner. D’Ambrosio’s suit was initially filed in 2024, disputing postings of “unspecified sexual misconduct” reported on the “Are We Dating the Same Guy?” website and alleging that he was the victim of doxing, which he said Facebook profited from, according to coverage by Law360.
On Friday, the 7th Circuit’s three-judge panel supported the dismissal of D’Ambrosio’s suit and contemplated whether sanctions should be imposed.
“We affirm dismissal of a litany of claims arising from a few social media posts about the plaintiff’s reportedly obnoxious behavior on dates and after a breakup,” the 7th Circuit panel said.
The appeals court also ordered D’Ambrosio and his legal team to explain why they shouldn’t face sanctions for “frivolously appealing” the dismissal against the person responsible for some of those posts and for submitting a brief with “fictitious quotations.”
Write a letter to the editor, share a story tip or update, or report an error.
