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A former teenage Saturday Night Live fan sued comedian Horatio Sanz and NBC in 2021, then sought to add Jimmy Fallon, Lorne Michaels and Tracy Morgan to the case. The court had not ruled on that request when the case settled in November 2022. The settlement was not a verdict, and the reported record does not establish that Fallon or Michaels was found liable.
Who brought the lawsuit, and what did she allege?
The plaintiff, identified as Jane Doe because she asked not to be named publicly, was an SNL fan who attended live tapings and parties as a teenager, ABC News reported. Her August 2021 complaint alleged that she was 14 in 1999, took part in online SNL fan communities, and ran a popular website about the show and Jimmy Fallon. The complaint further alleged that Sanz and Fallon emailed her in January 2000, when she was 15. These are claims made by Doe in a legal complaint, not findings by a court. ABC News reported on the complaint and Doe’s account; a copy of the original complaint sets out the allegations.
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The original suit named Sanz and NBC. Doe alleged abuse by Sanz and failures by NBC related to the alleged conduct. NBC denied her allegations against the company and sought dismissal, according to ABC News. Sanz’s lawyers also denied the allegations; the claims and denials should not be mistaken for court findings.
Why did Doe seek to add Fallon and Michaels?
In August 2022, Doe’s lawyer asked the court for permission to amend the complaint, adding details and proposed defendants that included Fallon, Michaels and Morgan. TheWrap reported that the proposed amendment alleged Fallon knew about Sanz’s conduct. That account describes allegations in a proposed filing, not claims adjudicated by the court. TheWrap’s report on the proposed amendment also quoted Sanz’s attorney saying, “This individual’s claims about Horatio Sanz are categorically false.” That statement was a denial, not a judicial conclusion.
Doe also described an encounter involving Fallon and Michaels in an interview with ABC News: “Jimmy Fallon introduced me to Lorne Michaels by my first and last name, and reminded Lorne Michaels what my website was.” This is Doe’s account of the introduction; it does not, by itself, establish that either man knew about or participated in the alleged abuse.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Did the lawsuit against Fallon and Michaels go to trial?
The sources reporting the case say the court had not ruled on Doe’s motion to amend when the case settled in November 2022. The original suit named Sanz and NBC; the cited reporting describes Fallon and Michaels as people Doe sought to add, not defendants found liable after a trial. ABC News reported no admission of wrongdoing by the defendants. NBC’s spokesperson said, “The parties have since resolved the matter and moved on.” Sanz continued to deny all allegations, according to his lawyers.
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Accordingly, “nearly took down” is a dramatic description, not an established legal outcome. The available reporting documents allegations, a request to amend, denials and a settlement—not a trial verdict against Fallon or Michaels. KQED likewise cautioned readers to distinguish the allegations from proven facts in its coverage of the lawsuit.
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Rank #4
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