Cantrell v. Forest City Publishing Co.
United States Supreme Court
419 U.S. 245 (1974)
After Mr. Cantrell died in a bridge collapse, journalist Eszterhas (defendant), writing for Forest City Publishing (defendant), visited the Cantrell home and interviewed the children while Mrs. Cantrell (plaintiff) was absent, but wrote as though he had observed and attempted to interview her, describing her appearance as wearing "the same mask of non-expression she wore at the funeral" and claiming she wouldn't discuss her husband's death; the article also exaggerated the family's poverty. Mrs. Cantrell sued for false light invasion of privacy, a jury found for her, and the court of appeals reversed, leading to her appeal.
Whether a newspaper article that falsely implies a specific person was present and participated in an interview, when that person was actually absent, constitutes a knowing or reckless falsehood sufficient to support a false light invasion of privacy claim.