In 2014 Rolling Stone published a story called “A Rape on Campus.” Authored by Sabrina Erdely, it detailed the brutal assault of Jackie, a freshman at the time, by seven fraternity brothers at a party at the University of Virginia (UVA).

Only there was a major problem with the story. It was and is completely false. We wrote about the appalling article and subsequent retractions here and here, with a follow up here. Understandably, the story caused repercussions everywhere. People were slammed for calling out Rolling Stone for such egregious defamatory reporting. The media circled the wagons for a time, and lives of many on the UVA campus, including those falsely accused, were negatively affected.

Fast forward to 2016 and the lawsuits filed against Rolling Stone, publisher Jan Wenner, and reporter Sabrina Erdely were moving closer to trial.

Just two weeks ago, lawsuit filed by UVA Dean Nicole Eramo went to court.

There are some very interesting things that emanated from Sabrina Erdely and Jann Wenner’s testimony.

A. Erdely admitted to “errors” in her reporting and denies that she shaped it to fit a narrative.

B. Rolling Stone paid Erdely $43,000 for that “story.”

C. Jann Wenner, owner and publisher of Rolling Stone, doubled down on the stupid during the trial. Said that the magazine shouldn’t have retracted the story!  And then offered up this so-called “apology” to Dean Eramo.

“I’m very, very sorry. It was never meant to ever happen this way to you,” Wenner told Nicole Eramo in taped testimony played at the
$7.85 million defamation trial.

“And believe me, I’ve suffered as much as you have,” he said. “And I know what it’s like. I hope that this whole thing hadn’t happened but it is, and it’s what we live with.”

THAT was an apology??!! Wow, Wenner’s arrogance is unreal.

Well, it seems the jury didn’t buy any of the excuses that Erdely and Wenner offered up. The verdict came back and its a thing of beauty.

NEW: Jury finds Rolling Stone journalist defamed former UVA administrator in “A Rape on Campus,” which was later retracted.

— ABC News (@ABC) November 4, 2016

It gets better.

Jury finds Sabrina Erdely and Rolling Stone liable of defamation with actual malice on multiple claims. #RollingStoneTrial

— Mariam Khan (@MKhan47) November 4, 2016

BREAKING: @HenryGraff reports: Sabrina Erdely found liable (w/malice) on 6 claims. Rolling Stone found liable on 3 claims. Waiting on Wenner

— NBC29 (@NBC29) November 4, 2016

The jury form below is very illuminating.

Rolling Stone found liable for defamation over 'Rape on Campus' article. Here's the filled-out jury verdict form: https://t.co/w1iyqKGA6B pic.twitter.com/9W9S6rnFcp

— Jacob Gershman (@jacobgershman) November 4, 2016

What this boils down to is this, the jury heard the evidence and listened to the testimony. They sorted the wheat from the chaff and didn’t buy into any claims by Erdely or Wenner. The jury found that defamation DID occur and that malice WAS intended.

All the insincere “apologies” in the world aren’t going to help Rolling Stone, Erdely, or Jann Wenner going forward.

Rolling Stone in response to jury finding journalist defamed UVA administrator: "We deeply regret these missteps and sincerely apologize." pic.twitter.com/JOFh8zRn7i

— ABC News (@ABC) November 4, 2016

They will still have to answer to the lawsuits filed by the fraternity. They should also have to answer for the damage they’ve done to true rape victims, to the genuine issues of rape and campus rape, and for blaming Jackie for the article THEY pursued and THEY wrote. However, Wenner and Erdely’s testimony and oh so insincere apologies make it VERY clear that they don’t care about any of that. For them it wasn’t about the issues of campus rape, nor was it about real victims. It was about their own egos. Period.