Chapter 526
Mason suddenly threw a bunch of questions at Hanson, leaving her speechless for a moment.
She stuttered, “The account was… registered the year before last, I don’t remember the exact time, and the first post, I think it was a repost, I forgot. I’ve always been the one using the account.”
Mason’s expression didn’t change, making it hard to tell if he got the information he wanted.
Hanson felt uneasy, afraid she might say something wrong. But seeing her lawyer didn’t interrupt, she relaxed a bit.
“Miss Hanson, when is your birthday?”
“July 16th.”
“July 16th…” Mason pondered the date and suddenly asked, “Your account posted a message on February 19th, wishing yourself a happy birthday. Do you have two birthdays a year?”
Hanson’s face changed.
February 19th was not her birthday, but Sydney’s.
That account had always been used by Sydney, and she had no idea what content Sydney had posted.
Such a stupid move! Posting private content on a secondary account was just plain dumb!
“Miss, please answer my question!”
Mason’s aura was strong, even more oppressive than the judge in court, making Hanson feel nervous.
Finally, Hector spoke up. “February 19th was the birthday of the celebrity she was following at the time. Fans often treat their idol’s birthday as a new beginning, so there’s nothing wrong with that, right?”
“No problem,” Mason said. “It’s just rare to see someone wishing themselves a happy birthday instead of their idol.” Then he turned to the judge and said. “I’m done with my questioning.”
This caused quite a stir.
Sydney was a big star, and her birthday was no secret among her fans.
Fans celebrating their idol’s birthday is common, but wishing themselves happy birthday on their idol’s birthday seemed a bit off.
Even if it was really to congratulate the idol, they should have posted a picture of the idol. Just a cake picture with a caption “Happy birthday to me” obviously couldn’t stand up
After Mason finished his questioning, it was left to the reporters present to dig deeper.
Both sides finished their defense. After on–site discussions, a verdict was made.
Hanson and others were found guilty of insult. Starting immediately, they must publicly apologize to the plaintiff on major online platforms, with the apology letter displayed for more than seven days. They must also compensate the plaintiff for emotional distress, lost wages, and other expenses, totaling $76,000. Due to significant disagreements on the defamation charge, a separate verdict will be announced later.
This result was within Celeste’s expectations.
Four people compensating $76,000 wasn’t too much, but the significance of this verdict was huge.
Cyberbullying incidents are not uncommon, and in recent years, casualties due to cyberbullying have occurred from time to time. After each incident, the perpetrators often successfully hide, and those who suffer from long–term cyberbullying desperately need a victory in this case to give them the courage to fight against cyberbullying.
Celeste didn’t mind being the leader.
After the trial, reporters who had been waiting for interviews gathered around her as she left the courtroom.
Celeste was very easygoing. She stood on the steps, speaking gently to the reporters, “Don’t push, safety first. I promise to leave time for interviews, so I won’t break my word. You can ask whatever you want, but I have to leave in ten minutes because I have some personal matters to deal with. I hope you understand.”
The reporters felt like they had met an angel.
