MSNBC settles 'uterus collector' defamation lawsuit
MSNBC, the parent company of NBC News, is settling a defamation suit brought by a doctor who was referred to by network TV hosts as the “uterus collector” in multiple stories aired in the fall of 2020.
Those stories—featured on news segments with Rachel Maddow, Chris Hayes and Nicolle Wallace—accused Mahendra Ami, MD, of extreme medical malpractice during his work as a physician at a Georgia Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility. Ami, a licensed and practicing gynecologist, was accused by a “whistleblower” at the facility of performing mass hysterectomies on female inmates.
Ami denied the claims and brought a lawsuit against NBC News for $30 million. He accused the network and its journalists of failing to properly verify the claims of his accuser, who worked as a nurse at the detention center.
The saga began when an article about Ami was published on MSNBC’s website, based almost entirely on the claims of the nurse. In a pretrial hearing on the case, a Southern District of Georgia judge said the content therein could meet the threshold of “actual malice,” given an investigation into Ami’s actions that found much of the content was demonstrably false.
“NBC investigated the whistleblower letter's accusations; that investigation did not corroborate the accusations and even undermined some. Yet, NBC republished the letter's accusations anyway," Judge Lisa Godbey Wood wrote.
Despite the legitimacy of the accusations being questioned, the news network allegedly went forward with multiple TV segments, accusing Ami of being a “uterus collector.” According to the physician, "false and defamatory" statements were made at least 23 times on various MSNBC news shows.
In one instance, Wallace said news of unwanted hysterectomies had been “confirmed” as true by reporters.
A trial on the case was scheduled for April 22, but the two sides have now said in court documents filed on Feb. 20 that they are "diligently working to finalize the language of the settlement agreement." Jeremy Barr of The Washington Post was the first to report the update.
As a result of MSNBC’s coverage, Ami is no longer allowed to practice medicine for ICE, court documents said. Of his $30 million claim, $20 million was being sought as punitive damages.
The specifics of the settlement are not yet known. MSNBC has declined multiple media requests to comment on the lawsuit and pending settlement.
Chad is an award-winning writer and editor with over 15 years of experience working in media. He has a decade-long professional background in healthcare, working as a writer and in public relations.