Haynes v. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
8 F.3d 1222 (7th Cir. 1993)
Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. (defendant) published a nonfiction book about the Great Black Migration, focusing on the life of Ruby Lee Daniels, including her marriage to Luther Haynes (plaintiff). The book portrayed Haynes unflatteringly as an alcoholic, adulterer, and poor husband. Haynes, along with his current wife Dorothy Haynes (plaintiff), sued Knopf and the book's author for libel and invasion of privacy over this characterization. The trial court granted summary judgment to Knopf, and the Hayneses appealed.
Whether a private individual has a right of privacy protecting against the truthful publication of his past personal misconduct when that conduct is relevant to a matter of legitimate public interest.