Transgender Pilot Sues Influencer Over Crash Claims

Jo Ellis, a transgender military pilot, has filed a defamation lawsuit against right-wing influencer Matt Wallace for falsely accusing her of piloting a helicopter involved in a deadly crash with an American Airlines plane near Washington, D.C., killing 67 people. Wallace, who has a significant following on the platform X, claimed the crash was a 'trans terror attack' and linked it to Ellis' gender identity, resulting in severe harassment and death threats towards her. Ellis, who was not involved in the crash, released a video refuting the claims, but Wallace's posts had already gone viral, causing significant distress. The lawsuit, filed in Colorado with the support of the Equality Legal Action Fund, seeks to hold Wallace accountable for spreading misinformation and profiting from it. Ellis plans to donate any damages awarded to the victims' families. This incident highlights the impact of misinformation and the challenges faced by the transgender community amid rising political rhetoric against them.