Former Kotaku editor sues social media influencer over harassment campaign


Margo Brodie, Chief Judge with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York | Administrative Office of the United States Courts | Wikipedia Commons

A lawsuit has been filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, accusing social media influencer Jeff Tarzia of leading a targeted campaign of harassment against Alyssa Mercante, a former senior editor at Kotaku, a video game news and culture website. 

The complaint, filed on December 11, 2024, alleges that Tarzia's actions were driven by his criticism of Kotaku's perceived liberal bias.

The case follows accusations that Tarzia, known online as "SmashJT," spread false information and incited harassment after Mercante defended Sweet Baby Inc., a Montreal-based company involved in the Gamergate controversy. 

According to the complaint, Tarzia labeled Kotaku as "everything wrong with the video game industry" and initiated a Change.org petition to shut down the publication. 

He also created an online directory called "Kotaku Detected," which lists individuals associated with Kotaku and aims to hold them accountable for their alleged contributions to biased journalism.

Mercante claims that Tarzia's actions led to harassment that forced her resignation from Kotaku. 

She alleges that his conduct involved libelous statements and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The lawsuit seeks damages exceeding $75,000 for reputational harm, loss of employment opportunities, and emotional distress.

The legal team representing Mercante is unnamed. The case is being heard under Case ID 1:24-cv-08471.

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