Young Chiefs fan’s defamation lawsuit against Deadspin to move forward: ‘Crossed the fine line’ [Video]

A Delaware judge ruled Monday that the Armenta family’s lawsuit against Deadspin for accusing their son of wearing “blackface” at a Chiefs game last year can proceed.

In 2023, Deadspin writer Carron Phillips wrote an article using an image of nine-year-old Holden Armenta sporting black and red Kansas City Chiefs face paint at a game, showing only the black half of his face. Phillips accused Holden of finding a way to “hate Black people and the Native Americans at the same time” and accused his parents of teaching him “hatred.”

Holden’s parents Raul Jr. and Shannon later filed a lawsuit in February accusing the sports blog of maliciously attacking Holden by selectively posting only one half of his face and accusing them of racism. 

On Monday, Superior Court Judge Sean Lugg denied Deadspin’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit, agreeing that the blog posted “provable false assertions” as facts rather than opinion.

YOUNG CHIEFS FAN AND DAD RESPOND TO ‘BLACKFACE’ ACCUSATIONS: ‘NEVER MEANT TO DISRESPECT ANY NATIVE …