Texas Woman Awarded $1.2 Billion in 'Revenge Porn' Lawsuit

In a groundbreaking legal victory, a Texan woman, identified only as D.L., has been awarded a remarkable $1.2 billion in damages after she took her ex-boyfriend, Marques Jamal Jackson, to court for his involvement in a revenge porn case. The lawsuit accused Jackson of engaging in revenge porn, a term used to describe the malicious act of sharing explicit images of someone without their consent, often with the intent to harm them emotionally or professionally.

D.L. and Jackson began their relationship in 2016, but things took a tumultuous turn, leading to their breakup in 2020. Despite their official separation in October 2021, Jackson continued to harass D.L. by distributing explicit images on social media and various platforms. Shockingly, he even tagged her employer and personal gym, intensifying the humiliation.

Jackson's relentless harassment did not stop there. He invaded D.L.'s privacy by accessing her security system, spying on her even after their breakup. He used her name, address, and images of her face to further torment her. Creating fake social media profiles and email accounts, he shamelessly shared the explicit content with her family, friends, and co-workers.

Fed up with the unending harassment, D.L. filed a complaint in April, detailing the extensive torment she had endured. Jackson's misconduct extended to misusing her personal bank account, incessant calls and texts, and false claims to her loan officer. In a threatening email sent by Jackson, he ominously warned D.L., stating, "You will spend the rest of your life trying and failing to wipe yourself off the internet."

After a thorough examination of the case, a Houston jury found Jackson guilty of violating Texas' revenge porn law. The jury ordered him to pay a substantial sum of $200 million for mental anguish, coupled with a staggering $1 billion in punitive damages. Although the full amount may not be paid, the verdict serves as a strong deterrent.

D.L.'s lawyer, Brad Gilde, refrained from labeling the case as "revenge porn" and instead coined it as "image-based sexual abuse" to underscore the gravity of the violation. He commended the verdict for validating D.L.'s fight to raise awareness about this issue and urged other law firms to pursue similar cases, ultimately preventing such activities in the future.