It’s a tale as old as time: Boy meets girl on a dating app. Boy dates girl. Girl criticizes boy. Boy doesn’t take it well. Boy sues girl. Boy and girl lawyer up.
It sounds like the plot of a dark romantic comedy, but this is real life, and it’s happening across multiple states.
In a previous blog, we covered the story of a man who sued women he dated, accusing them of doxxing and defaming him on a Facebook group called Are We Dating the Same Guy?. Well, we can't tell you how excited we were to learn that there's been some juicy updates on that case -- and we're pretty sure there's a connection to another one that's just popped up. Let's explore these new developments in today's post!
Which is worse: Talking about bad dates or behaving badly on a date?
Before we dive into the legal fallout from the man who sued the infamous Facebook group and some of its members, let's tackle an age-old debate: Which is worse — airing your grievances about a bad date online or being the person whose behavior prompts those grievances in the first place?
If you ask us, posting about your dating disasters in a Facebook group isn’t exactly tactful. But behaving badly on a date? That’s not going to win you any hearts either. And as for juggling multiple women at once? While that might lead to a few raised eyebrows and some snarky Facebook posts, it’s worth noting that serial dating — though distasteful to many — isn’t a crime.
Are we filing the same lawsuit?
Yet here we are, watching some men try to turn their questionable behavior into a legal battle. And it’s a battle they’re losing in more ways than one. One such man is Nikko D’Ambrosio, whom we discussed in a previous blog. Here’s a quick recap of his case:
After an unflattering review from one of his dates on the Chicago chapter of Are We Dating The Same Guy?, Mr. D’Ambrosio found himself at the center of critical social media posts. The complaints against him weren’t even that awful. One of the offending reviews stated he got clingy too fast and that he flaunted his cash. Another woman said that, after she blocked him, he texted her from another number. Other women joined in, accusing him of ghosting after hookups and sending rude messages when denied. Naturally, this led to a lawsuit — because why not?
It’s hard to say what drove Mr. D’Ambrosio to file the lawsuit instead of just venting to his bros. Surely, neither he nor his legal team seriously believed the case had legs, especially with tax fraud charges looming over him.
Maybe he wanted to make a point — something along the lines of “women can be mean” or perhaps to intimidate women into silence about the men they date. Or maybe he truly believed he had a strong case. But alas, the lawsuit had some glaring issues. For one, it didn’t meet any of the criteria necessary for a class action. In fact, it was clearly unfit to be a class action.
Long story short, it was tossed out before it could scare anyone into silence.
Another man with hurt feelings heads to court
In California, a judge recently tossed out a lawsuit strikingly similar to Mr. D’Ambrosio’s. This time, it was a suit filed by one Stewart Lucas Murrey, a man determined to take legal action against over 50 women for sharing their dating horror stories about him in various private Facebook groups, including the infamous Are We Dating the Same Guy?. Mr. Murrey claims these women conspired to destroy his reputation and trample on his right to free speech — all because of his gender. Because, of course, that’s the most logical explanation.
Murrey's complaints, detailed in a lawsuit filed in June 2023, revolve around posts in Los Angeles and Orange County Are We Dating the Same Guy? groups, where women exchanged tales of their similar romantic misfortunes. However, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Gregory Keosian wasn’t having it. In April 2024, he granted an anti-SLAPP motion, a legal tool designed to protect free speech, dismissing the case against one of the defendants, Vanessa Valdes.
Murrey’s crusade to silence these women’s stories mirrors D'Ambrosio’s legal escapades, though with a bit more theater. And while both men are trying to litigate their way out of being called out for their behavior, neither seems to be scoring any points in the court of public opinion.
We may not be dating experts, but we know the law
In today’s seemingly brutal dating world, where being called out for bad behavior — often online for everyone to see — can lead to legal action, some men seem determined to turn criticism into an opportunity for a lawsuit. But as the recent dismissals have shown, the courts aren’t too eager to entertain these cases.
So, fellas, if you find yourself at the center of a heated discussion about your unsavory dating behavior, consider this: trying to silence criticism might just make it louder, a phenomenon known as the Streisand Effect. If you don’t want your bad dating habits to go public, the best course of action is to be on your best behavior from the start.
Of course, this is just some basic advice, and we’re not dating coaches. But we are experienced family law attorneys. If you have a case in Washington State, contact LaGrandueur & Williams. Leave us a message, and we’ll be here to help.