Upchurch’s $18 Million Defamation Verdict Explained

Singer and YouTuber Ryan Upchurch has to pay $18 million to the family of a 16-year-old girl found dead in California three-and-a-half years ago.

The total includes actual damages, assumed damages, emotional distress damages and punitive damages for the girl's father and grandfather.

Why Did Ryan Upchurch Get Sued?

The case focused on a video Upchurch made responding to the disappearance of Kiely Rodni. On Aug. 6, 2022, she was with friends in a small California town north of Lake Tahoe. There were nearly 300 people at the party when she vanished in her 2013 Honda CRV.

Rodni's mother would later share that the last message she received from her daughter was that she was leaving the party and would be coming home.

Police searched for two weeks and treated the case as a potential abduction. Fifteen days later, her vehicle was pulled out of the Prosser Reservoir. Rodni’s body was inside and the cause of death was later listed as drowning.

There was no evidence of foul play, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said (per ABC News).

Upchurch's Videos About Kiely Rodni

As news of Rodni's disappearance spread, true crime influencers began to post social media videos touting theories, much like they would in the case of Riley Strain 18 months later.

Upchurch also published videos about the case, including one YouTube video titled “ZERO proof of Kiely Rodni situation being REAL.”

"Show me real proof of Kyle Rodni existing ... show me anything that indicates that this is real. You can’t," Upchurch said, according to the lawsuit. "‘Cause it ain’t. It’s a scam.”

He also suggested it was all a plot to raise money on GoFundMe.

Related: Country Music's Famous Feuds and Beefs [Updated]

"Do you realize that you can be a millionaire on GoFundMe by catfishing people with internet deaths?" he said, per the lawsuit. "Look at the Kiely Rodni GoFundMe. It’s made $63,000 in the past seven days.” This video is no longer available on YouTube.

The girls’ father Daniel Rodni and grandfather David Robertson sued Upchuch in July 2023, claiming he caused “reputational injury, financial losses and emotional distress.” Lawyers shared that these videos spread false claims.

The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Nashville. The verdict statements were released on Monday (May 18) and can be read at WSMV.

Upchurch Verdict Explained

Here is what the jury decided:

Plaintiff Daniel Rodni will receive:

• $500,000 for actual damages for the defamatory statements
• $2,000,000 for assumed damages (harm to reputation, shame, mortification, hurt feelings)
• $4,000,000 for severe emotional distress
• $250,000 punitive damages

Plaintiff David Robertson will receive:

• $1,000,000 in actual damages
• $4,000,000 for assumed damages (harm to reputation, shame, mortification, hurt feelings)
• $6,000,000 for severe emotional distress
• $250,000 punitive damages

Who is Ryan Upchurch?

Ryan Upchurch is a country rap artist with a large following on YouTube and social media. While he has several RIAA certified Gold and Platinum records for songs such as “Holler Boys” and “Rolling Stoned,” he’s never embraced mainstream models or business practices.

On YouTube (3.35M subs) and social media, he’s famous for controversial criticism of artists such as Luke Combs, Jelly Roll, Chase Matthew and more. His inflammatory statements and takes on country music are part of his appeal to fans, even if he attracts lawsuits and occasionally retracts content without explanation.

While he's not commented on the verdict on his platforms yet, his lawyers at Bailiff Law, LLC shared the following:

The freedom of speech is one of the most fundamental rights that is necessary for every free society, and that right is one that needs protecting now more than ever. While Mr. Upchurch is a staunch advocate for the United States Constitution and the rights that so many veterans fought and died for, Mr. Upchurch can be that advocate and also feel sympathy for a family in their time of grief. It is in this spirit that Mr. Upchurch would like to extend his heartfelt sympathy to the Rodni, Robertson, and Nieman families. Mr. Upchurch asks that the family be given respect and time to grieve and move forward with their lives, and would ask that the family be allowed to heal in peace.

As to the verdict, Mr. Upchurch has no comment at this time.