Saskatoon woman facing court battle over harassment allegations denies claims made in lawsuit
A statement of defence has been filed by woman being sued for defamation over allegations posted online alleging harassment during a promotional video shoot in Saskatoon
Tiara Jackle is the defendant in the defamation lawsuit filed by the Saskatoon band Bombargo and three of its members — Anthony and Nathan Thoen, and Spencer Chilliak.
In March, Jackle made a series of posts on Facebook, recounting alleged inappropriate, predatory and unprofessional experiences during a video shoot involving members of the band.
Jackle's statement of defence denies the online posts were defamatory and denies all allegations in the statement of claim filed against her.
“The posts were understood to be part of an international cultural movement, including but not limited to the #MeToo movement, which encourages individuals to break cultures of silence by rejecting inappropriate, unprofessional and sexualized behaviour by others in the workplace and elsewhere," the statement of defence reads. It adds the posts were published in "good faith, and without malice."
In the posts, Jackle outlined alleged examples of how she believed the men involved in the video shoot engaged in inappropriate or predatory behaviour, including a claim concerning a model she believed was "underage" breaking down in tears after she was instructed to "make out" with one of the men involved.
"The entire experience felt predatory, with unprofessional misogynistic commentary, and pressure to perform for the camera in ways that felt objectifying, overtly sexual, and demeaning," Jackle wrote.
The lawsuit filed by Bombargo, and three of its members accuses Jackle of defamation, intentional infliction of mental suffering and alleges her actions led to a loss of income and ability to earn income.
The lawsuit says the event was captured by multiple video cameras and two lapel microphones.
“After thoroughly reviewing same, the plaintiffs confirmed that Tiara's statements were unequivocally false. The plaintiffs moreover confirm that no underage model was involved in the event described,” the lawsuit reads.
In the claim, the plaintiffs allege they have suffered "severe angst, crippling anxiety requiring the intervention of emergency service workers, humiliation" as well as loss of reputation and income due to Jackle’s actions.
Jackle’s statement of defence alleges the plaintiffs have suffered no actual injury or damage to their reputation.
Through a representative, Jackle declined to comment on the case. Her lawyer also declined to comment.
A GoFundMe page Jackle launched to help pay for her defence had reached nearly $50,000 as of Friday evening.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.