Canadaland Settles Defamation Suit

A defamation lawsuit brought by 82-year-old Theresa Kielburger against Canadaland and host Jesse Brown has been settled after years of legal scrutiny over a 2021 podcast episode that falsely claimed she diverted hundreds of thousands of dollars to a family bank account. Jesse Brown publicly apologized in court, admitting the allegations were untrue and expressing regret for the harm caused. Canadaland fully retracted the claims and agreed to pay $775,000 in damages. The settlement, approved this week, avoids trial and follows a judge’s earlier ruling that found the claim had substantial merit and that key facts were omitted — including statements from the family’s accountant and union president — while Kielburger was never contacted for comment. Kielburger called the original statements callous and damaging, especially to the children who fundraised for WE Charity. Her lawyer emphasized the case underscores the need for journalistic accountability in podcasting, especially as WE Charity faced national controversy in 2020 that led to its shutdown and the departure of its co-founders. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/eb3f2c6a431bba5a