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 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 amassed 500,000 views. The court found that the video contained defamatory, inaccurate, and unsubstantiated claims about Mitchell.

Mitchell's gaming accolades faced scrutiny in 2018 when his scores were removed from Twin Galaxies' leaderboards amid allegations that he used a MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) instead of arcade cabinets to achieve records in games such as Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, and Donkey Kong Jr., which violated competition rules. After a six-year battle to defend his records, Mitchell successfully had his scores reinstated in Twin Galaxies' "historical database" and by the Guinness World Records in 2020.

Mitchell's defamation lawsuit against Jobst stemmed not from the validity of his Donkey Kong scores, but from claims made in Jobst's 2021 video. The video allegedly implied that Mitchell's previous legal action against YouTuber Benjamin "Apollo Legend" Smith resulted in Smith paying $1 million in damages and contributed to Smith's suicide in 2020. It also suggested that Mitchell had expressed pleasure at the thought of Smith's suicide.

After Mitchell's legal threat, Jobst edited the video, and Smith's brother confirmed that no money had been paid. Jobst took to X/Twitter to acknowledge the court's decision, emphasizing that he did not accuse Mitchell of cheating and that his statements about Smith were based on incorrect information from multiple sources. He expressed regret and gratitude for the support he received, vowing to work hard to repay his supporters. Jobst also highlighted his commitment to free expression despite the legal setback.

The judge mandated Jobst to pay $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 around $241,000. The judge noted that Mitchell could have justified a higher amount for aggravated damages, but awarded the amount Mitchell sought.

Mitchell gained fame in the arcade gaming community for achieving a perfect score in Pac-Man during the '80s and further rose to prominence with the 2007 documentary King of Kong, which chronicled his rivalry with Steve Wiebe.