Yahoo News Last Week Tonight's John Oliver sued over coal segment
John Oliver is being sued over a segment on coal mining, which aired on the most recent episode of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.
The comedian – along with HBO and Time Warner – have been named in the lawsuit from Bob Murray and his coal company Murray Energy Corporation.
This probably isn't surprising, as Oliver told viewers that before the episode aired, the show was handed a cease-and-desist letter from Murray's team.
[Above: Bob Murray]
"I'm going to need to be careful here, because when we contacted Murray Energy for this piece, they sent us a letter instructing us to 'cease and desist from any effort to defame, harass, or otherwise injure Mr Murray or Murray Energy', and telling us that 'failure to do so will result in immediate litigation'," the host explained.
According to the lawsuit (via the Daily Beast), Last Week Tonight with John Oliver is alleged to have "executed a meticulously planned attempt to assassinate the character of and reputation of Mr Robert E Murray and his companies".
During the episode, Oliver tore into Murray and his company, bringing up a number of alleged safety violations and the 2007 Crandall Canyon mine accident in Utah – in which six miners and three rescue workers were killed.
It was part of a wider discussion about the coal mining industry. In the piece, Oliver also talked about the job losses in the sector, and Donald Trump's debatable claims and promises to revive the industry.
"Bob Murray, I didn't really plan for so much of this piece to be about you, but you kind of forced my hand on that one," the host said at the end of the episode. "And I know you're probably going to sue me over this. But, you know what? I stand by everything I said."
HBO released a statement in response to the lawsuit, saying: "We have confidence in the staff of Last Week Tonight and do not believe anything in the show this week violated Mr Murray's or Murray Energy's rights."
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver airs on HBO in the US and on Sky Atlantic in the UK.
Want up-to-the-minute entertainment news and features? Just hit 'Like' on our Digital Spy Facebook page and 'Follow' on our @digitalspy Twitter account and you're all set.
You Might Also Like
