Katie Couric, Epix Sued for $12 Million-Plus Over Gun Documentary Edit

[...] Amendment advocates claim they were defamed by misleading cut of film

The VCDL slapped Couric with a $12 million lawsuit on Tuesday, claiming that members of the group were defamed by editing in the documentary “Under the Gun” that made it apppear they were stumped on the issue of background checks for gun purchases.

The defamation suit, which also names Epix, filmmaker Stephanie Soechtig and Atlas Films, seeks a bundle in damages — $12 million in compensatory damages, and $350,000 in punitive damages from each defendant.

The film contains false footage purporting to show members of the Virginia Citizens Defense League sitting silently, stumped, and avoiding eye contact for nearly nine seconds after Couric asked, “if there are no background checks for gun purchasers, how do you prevent felons or terrorists from purchasing a gun?”‘ read the suit, filed in federal court in Virginia.

In actuality, the suit contends, the members of VCDL provided in-depth answers to Couric, who narrated and produced the film, spending “nearly six minutes responding to Couric’s question and another three minutes engaging in a related discussion.”

Unedited audio recording of the exchange reveals that, in reality, Couric had expressly acknowledged that the VCDL members had an answer, and the VCDL members had not been stumped but had immediately begun explaining the bases for their position on background checks, the complaint adds.

“The Defendants manipulated the footage in service of an agenda: they wanted to establish that there is no basis for opposing universal background checks by fooling viewers into believing that even a panel of pro-Second Amendment advocates could not provide one,” the lawsuit reads.

The Defendants intentionally disregarded the truth of the actual exchange that had taken place and took at least six intentional steps to manufacture a fictional exchange to support their agenda.