Billy Mitchell Wins $237K in Defamation Suit Against YouTuber

Arcade gaming legend Billy "King of Kong" Mitchell has been awarded nearly a quarter of a million dollars in damages following a successful defamation lawsuit against Australian YouTuber Karl Jobst. As reported by PC Gamer, Jobst, known for his content on competitive and speedrunning gaming, featured Mitchell in a video titled "The Biggest Conmen in Video Game History Strike Again!" which garnered 500,000 views. The court determined that the video contained defamatory, inaccurate, and unsubstantiated claims about Mitchell.

Mitchell's reputation in the gaming world was previously marred in 2018 when his scores were removed from Twin Galaxies' leaderboards amid allegations that he used a MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) instead of traditional arcade cabinets to achieve his high scores in games like Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, and Donkey Kong Jr. However, after a six-year battle, Mitchell managed to have his records reinstated in a "historical database" on Twin Galaxies' website and also by the Guinness World Records in 2020.

The defamation lawsuit against Jobst was not related to the validity of Mitchell's Donkey Kong scores but stemmed from claims made in Jobst's 2021 video. The video suggested that Mitchell's earlier lawsuit against YouTuber Benjamin "Apollo Legend" Smith led to Smith owing $1 million in damages and contributed to his suicide in 2020. It also alleged that Mitchell had expressed joy at the thought of Smith's suicide. After legal threats from Mitchell, Jobst edited the video, and it was clarified by Smith's brother that no money had been paid.

Jobst acknowledged his defeat on X/Twitter, stating, "I lost. The judge found Billy to be a credible witness and believed his entire testimony." He emphasized that he did not accuse Mitchell of cheating and that his claims about Smith were based on "incorrect information from multiple sources." Jobst expressed his determination to continue fighting for free expression and thanked his supporters for their ongoing support.

The judge awarded Mitchell $187,800 (AU$300,000) for non-economic loss, $31,300 (AU$50,000) for aggravated damages, and $22,000 (AU$34,668.50) in interest, totaling approximately $241,000. The judge noted that Mitchell could have been justified in receiving more than AU$50,000 in aggravated damages but awarded the amount Mitchell sought.

Mitchell, who achieved a perfect score in Pac-Man during the '80s, gained widespread recognition through the 2007 documentary King of Kong, which highlighted his rivalry with Steve Wiebe.