Buster Murdaugh Wins Defamation Suit Ruling Over Documentary’s Murder Claims

Buster Murdaugh, the sole surviving son of disgraced South Carolina legal scion Alex Murdaugh, notched a significant legal triumph this week. A federal judge greenlit his defamation lawsuit against Warner Bros. and Blackfin Inc., rejecting their bid to dismiss the case. The suit claims their documentary falsely implied Buster’s involvement in the 2015 death of Stephen Smith, a former classmate found dead on a rural Hampton County road in a hit-and-run.

Judge Richard Mark Gergel’s June 9 ruling in South Carolina’s U.S. District Court allows Buster, now 28, to pursue claims that the media giants’ production ‘insinuated and implied’ his guilt in Smith’s death. The documentary, tied to Alex Murdaugh’s high-profile crimes, allegedly juxtaposed local rumors with law enforcement reports to craft a defamatory narrative. Former South Carolina Attorney General Charlie Condon called the decision a ‘real victory’ for Buster, noting its survival past early dismissal signals merit.

Smith’s death, initially ruled a hit-and-run, resurfaced in 2021 amid probes into the Murdaugh family following the murders of Alex’s wife and son. Despite speculation, no evidence links Buster to Smith’s case. The lawsuit argues the documentary’s claims, viewed by millions, tarnished Buster’s reputation with false accusations of ‘moral turpitude.’

Warner Bros. and Blackfin leaned on First Amendment defenses, arguing the documentary didn’t explicitly name Buster as Smith’s killer. Gergel, however, found their selective editing created a defamatory implication, sidestepping fair report privileges. As discovery looms, the case could unravel how media narratives shape public perception in high-stakes true crime stories.