June 13, 2025

Bill Lunn Files Defamation Lawsuit Against KTAL

News Summary

Former Shreveport news anchor Bill Lunn has filed a defamation lawsuit against KTAL and its co-anchors, following an unverified report accusing him of inappropriate communications. Lunn argues that the allegations resulted in significant harm to his career, despite being cleared by police. His lawsuit claims ‘character assassination’ and seeks damages for defamation, emotional distress, and invasion of privacy. This case highlights the impact of media reporting and rivalry within the local news landscape.

Shreveport – Former Shreveport news anchor Bill Lunn has initiated a defamation lawsuit against rival television station KTAL, its co-anchors Daniel and Jacquelyn Jovic, and owner Nexstar. The legal action was filed on May 30, 2025, nearly one year following Lunn’s resignation from ABC affiliate KTBS, ahead of a KTAL report that aired on June 3, 2024, which accused him of inappropriate communications with a minor.

The KTAL report alleged that Lunn had been engaged in compromising text messages with a teenage girl posed by vigilantes targeting adults seeking to exploit minors. However, a police investigation ultimately cleared Lunn of any wrongdoing, and he faced no criminal charges related to the claims made against him. This fact, while included in the KTAL report, did not mitigate the damage to Lunn’s career, he argues.

Lunn’s lawsuit alleges that KTAL committed “character assassination” by failing to properly vet or confirm the accusations prior to broadcasting their story. He claims that the report resulted in long-lasting harm to his career in broadcast journalism. The complaint suggests that Lunn was unfairly targeted by the station due to existing rivalries in the Shreveport media landscape.

Details of the Incident

According to the lawsuit, the controversy began when Lunn connected on Tinder with an individual he believed to be a 19-year-old woman. The interaction quickly escalated to sexually explicit exchanges, leading him to visit her home. During his visit, Lunn reported being physically assaulted and robbed by three men, an incident for which he subsequently filed a police report.

Complicating matters, the communication from the woman was later discovered to have been altered from stating that she was 19 years old to claiming she was only 16—a significant detail that raised concerns regarding legality. The KTAL report claimed Lunn had fled law enforcement, a characterization contradicted by police findings after they substantiated his account of the incident.

Impact of the Report

Following the initial broadcast, journalist Daniel Jovic allegedly reached out to a police source to question Lunn’s actions during the incident. Jovic subsequently interviewed the alleged assailants, which contributed to a narrative that Lunn’s lawsuit argues was misleading and defamatory, undermining other evidence presented in the police investigation.

Even after it was established that Lunn had been cleared by authorities, KTAL produced additional stories that reiterated Lunn’s denials and the police’s position while failing to retract the initial allegations. This sequence of events has been cited by Lunn as a contributing factor to the termination of his broadcasting career.

Legal Action and Ongoing Situation

In his lawsuit, Lunn is seeking unspecified damages for defamation, emotional distress, and invasion of privacy. He has requested a jury trial, aiming to hold both KTAL and the individuals involved accountable for the impacts of their report on his life and profession.

Nexstar’s legal representation has indicated that the company stands by its journalists and the information presented in the KTAL report, maintaining confidence in their reporting process. The lawsuit emphasizes the ongoing damage to Lunn’s professional reputation, which he asserts will take years to rehabilitate fully.

As of the most recent updates, neither KTAL, Nexstar, nor the Jovics have publicly commented on the lawsuit, leaving many aspects of the case and its implications for all parties involved unanswered.

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Additional Resources

Author: STAFF HERE SHREVEPORT WRITER

The SHREVEPORT STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HEREShreveport.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Shreveport, Caddo Parish, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as Mudbug Madness Festival, Red River Revel Arts Festival, and Independence Bowl. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Shreveport-Bossier Chamber of Commerce and Shreveport Regional Arts Council, plus leading businesses in gaming, healthcare, and energy that power the local economy such as Horseshoe Casino, Ochsner LSU Health, and Atmos Energy. As part of the broader HERE network, including HEREBatonRouge.com and HERENewOrleans.com, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into Louisiana's dynamic landscape.

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STAFF HERE SHREVEPORT WRITER

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