Kai Spears awarded $9.25m after Alabama jury finds New York Times defamed him

On 21 August 2026 an Alabama jury awarded Kai Spears $9.25m after finding that the New York Times had defamed him by reporting he was at the scene of a fatal shooting.

Spears played for the University of Alabama men's team and filed his lawsuit against the Times in 2023 after the newspaper published an article linking him to the incident.

Three other basketball players from the school were present at the January 2023 shooting, which killed Jamea Harris. Harris was a 23-year-old mother.

The Times had published a report citing "a person familiar with the investigation" that said Spears was a passenger in a car involved in the shooting and noted that the person had spoken "on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters." The newspaper later acknowledged its error in an editor's note and corrected the story.

It was later revealed that the person in the car was a team manager rather than Spears, and the team manager was not implicated or charged in the shooting. In his lawsuit Spears claimed the inaccurate reporting had caused him emotional distress and linked him for ever with a murder.

Matt Glover, an attorney for Spears, said he was pleased with the decision and believes "this verdict will improve journalism throughout the country." Spears's father, Christian, said the family were thankful for the verdict and told Patch: "Our goal was a simple retraction from The New York Times. Instead, the Times defended its inaccurate article and continued to distort facts rather than acknowledge the harm they caused, acting as if its power made it untouchable. The Alabama jury made it clear to the New York Times that they were wrong to do what they did." Spears has also played for Marshall and West Liberty during his college basketball career after transferring from Alabama after the 2023-24 season.

A Times article reporting on the verdict on Thursday said the newspaper "had not lost a defamation lawsuit brought in the United States over one of its articles in more than 50 years." "We’re disappointed the jury found The Times liable for an honest mistake," the Times said in a statement Thursday. "We thank the jury for its service, but believe the verdict and award of damages are contrary to law and not supported by the evidence." The Times is reviewing its legal options.