"Hustler" Magazine Fined For Showing Benoit Photos

((HT: AJC.com))

U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Thrash signed off on a $375,000 award in a case brought by the family of Nancy Benoit, the wife of wrestler Chris Benoit. Hustler Magazine published old photos of a nude Nancy, and the judgment overturned an-almost $20 million in the initial verdict awarded to the family.

Judge Thrash said the jury award cannot exceed Georgia's cap on punitive damages.

Which sucks since what Hustler did is just flat gross...
But the HQ is reminded it's "Hustler."
And how is the punitive damage limit only $375K...???

Jus' axin'...

The photos were published after Chris Benoit killed his wife and young son before committing suicide June 25, 2007. Nancy Benoit's family sued Hustler's publisher. Their contention was that Nancy had asked the photographer to destroy the images immediately after they were shot.

Obviously, the images weren't...
And that's gross...
Again...

Here was how the WWE handled their live program on the night of the discovery of the bodies in the Benoit's suburban Atlanta home...
((HT: WWE/USA/youtube))

Supreme Court Allows Benoit Lawsuit To Proceed

The United States Supreme Court is allowing a lawsuit to continue against Hustler Magazine. The lawsuit is over decades-old nude photographs of Nancy Benoit that were published after she was killed by her husband, wrestler Chris Benoit.

The court turned down Hustler's appeal Monday. Benoit killed his wife, Nancy, and their son before committing suicide in June of 2007.

Here's Mark Teichner's report a few days after the murder-suicide, thanks to our friends at WAGA-TV...
((HT: MyFoxAtlanta.com))


Hustler published 20-year-old nude photographs of Nancy Benoit after the time of the deaths and the subsequent investigation. Her family filed a federal lawsuit against the Larry Flynt Publishing Group, the publisher of Hustler Magazine, claiming that Nancy had asked the photographer to destroy the images immediately after they were
taken.

More when we know more...

But here's a flashback to the interview of Chris' father on ABCNews "Nightline" at the time of the investigation...
((HT: ABC))

"Woman's" Parents File Wrongful Death Suit

((HT: AJC/Mateucci))

A Carrollton doctor who prescribed drugs to professional wrestler Chris Benoit should pay for the lives of the wrestler’s deceased wife and son, the victims’ family says.

On Wednesday, the family filed a wrongful death suit in U.S. District Court against Dr. Phil Carroll Astin III and three unnamed drug distributors.

The suit claims the doctor and distributors prescribed drugs that caused Benoit to strangle his wife Nancy and smother 7-year-old son Daniel inside their Fayette County home in 2007.

Astin is now serving a 10-year prison sentence for illegally dispensing drugs.
Astin’s lawyer, Natasha Perdew Silas, could not be immediately reached for comment.

The suit claims that Astin prescribed painkillers, steroids and muscle relaxants to Benoit from June 2000 to June 23, 2007 – the day Benoit killed his family and then hanged himself.

The suit alleges that Astin has a responsibility to monitor Benoit and warn him of the side effects of the drugs. The suit also includes an affidavit by a veteran Long Island sports medicine doctor, who reviewed Benoit’s medical records.

The physician, Dr. Gary Wadler, found that Astin prescribed Benoit the medication without proper diagnosis or monitoring. The drugs ultimately caused Benoit’s “mental, physical, emotional and/or behavioral health to deteriorate to extent he killed” his family, Wadler said.

“It is my opinion, to a reasonable degree of medical certainty and medical probability, that Astin was negligent in his care and treatment of Benoit,” wrote Wadler, a member of the World Anti-Doping Agency’s board.

The suit seeks financial damages to cover the “full value” of the deceased lives, along with money for pain, suffering and expenses. The suit requests a jury trial.

Nancy Benoit’s parents, Maureen and Paul Toffoloni of Florida, filed the suit in U.S. District Court in Newnan. The Toffoloni’s handle Nancy and Daniel Benoit’s estate.

Earlier this year, Astin pleaded guilty to writing 175 illegal prescriptions for 19 patients, including two that died of drug overdoses. Federal prosecutors argued that Astin illegally prescribed drugs such as Percocet, Oxycontin, Xanax and Lorcet to professional wrestlers who eventually became addicted to them.

Here's a great version of CBC's "The Fifth Estate" where Bob McKeown examines Stampede Wrestling and Chris Benoit...