Invasion of Privacy: False Light

False light involves publicity placing plaintiff in misleading, highly offensive portrayal.

Representative cases

• Welling v. Weinfeld 113 Ohio St. 3d 464 · Ohio Supreme Court
• IN RE AMENDMENTS TO THE OKLAHOMA UNIFORM JURY INSTRUCTIONS 2014 OK 100 · Supreme Court of Oklahoma
• Clinton Giles v. Kanawha County Board of Education West Virginia Supreme Court

Related Defamation & Privacy rules

• Defamation: ElementsDefamation requires defamatory statement of fact about plaintiff, publication, and reputational harm.
• Defamation: Public FiguresPublic figures must prove actual malice—knowledge of falsity or reckless disregard.
• Defamation: Private FiguresPrivate plaintiffs must prove negligence on matters of public concern.
• Privileges: AbsoluteAbsolute privilege applies to judicial, legislative, and some executive proceedings.
• Privileges: QualifiedQualified privilege applies to statements made for proper purpose unless abused.
• Invasion of Privacy: AppropriationAppropriation is unauthorized commercial use of plaintiff’s name or likeness.
• Invasion of Privacy: IntrusionIntrusion is intentional invasion of plaintiff’s private affairs that is highly offensive.
• Invasion of Privacy: Public DisclosurePublic disclosure of private facts is tortious when highly offensive and not of legitimate public concern.

Part of Torts on Core Legal Rules — foundational MBE-tested principles with primary-source citations.