Country singer Alexis Wilkins has filed a federal defamation lawsuit against MSNBC, escalating a dispute over reporting that alleged FBI Director Kash Patel used federal agents assigned to protect Wilkins for personal errands. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, accuses the network and two reporters of publishing false claims that damaged Wilkins' reputation and misrepresented her conduct.
Wilkins, 27, who is in a relationship with Patel, alleges that MSNBC falsely portrayed her as someone who used law enforcement resources for social activities. The complaint seeks more than $75,000 in damages and names MSNBC along with reporters Ken Dilanian and Carol Leonnig as defendants.
At the center of the dispute is a December report that claimed Patel directed federal agents assigned to Wilkins' protection detail to drive an allegedly intoxicated friend home after a night out in Nashville. According to the lawsuit, the account was impossible because Wilkins did not have a security detail at the time the incident allegedly occurred.
The complaint states that MSNBC "falsely asserted that Ms. Wilkins demanded, and Director Patel ordered, that federal agents assigned to her security detail which did not even exist at the time, escort an intoxicated friend home after a 'night of partying.'"
Wilkins' attorneys argue the report created a misleading image of her personal life and professional character. The filing also challenges descriptions suggesting she participated in heavy social drinking, maintaining that she rarely consumes alcohol and was unfairly depicted as part of a nightlife culture inconsistent with her public image.
The lawsuit further attacks the sourcing behind the article, describing the anonymous sources cited by MSNBC as unreliable and characterizing the reporting as built on what the complaint calls "sham" sources. Wilkins contends the publication failed to verify key facts before publishing allegations involving both her and the FBI director.
MSNBC has publicly defended its reporting. According to NBC News, MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler said the network stands behind the story. When the allegations first surfaced, FBI spokesman Ben Williamson also denied the claims involving Patel and the alleged use of federal agents.
The legal battle places Wilkins and Patel at the center of another high-profile media dispute. Two attorneys representing Wilkins are also part of the legal team representing Patel in his separate $250 million defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic. That case stems from reporting that questioned Patel's conduct and raised concerns about his alleged drinking habits. The Atlantic has defended its reporting.
