BBC Studios exits Trump’s $10 billion BBC defamation case
Court filings say Donald Trump’s claims against BBC Studios were dismissed, while his lawsuit against the BBC continues toward a 2027 trial.
By Bianca Rossi · Entertainment Editor
2 min read
Donald Trump’s $10 billion defamation fight with the BBC has narrowed, with BBC Studios no longer a defendant in the case, according to court documents quoted by press reports.
The lawsuit, tied to a disputed Panorama edit of Trump’s January 6 speech, is still moving ahead against the British Broadcasting Corporation. A trial is scheduled for February 2027.
The court documents said all claims against the “Studios Defendants” had been dismissed with prejudice, with both sides paying their own costs and legal fees. The filing added that Trump would continue pursuing his claims against the BBC.
Trump has alleged that the Panorama edit was “false, defamatory, deceptive, disparaging, inflammatory and malicious.” He is seeking $5 billion for defamation and another $5 billion under Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.
Why BBC Studios was in the case
The Panorama documentary was produced by the BBC’s in-house current affairs team alongside October Films, according to Deadline. BBC Studios, the corporation’s commercial arm, owns BritBox International.
Trump claimed BritBox International carried the Panorama program to viewers in the United States. The BBC has denied that the documentary ever aired on BritBox.
The BBC previously apologized over the Panorama edit. It has also tried to get the lawsuit dismissed by challenging jurisdiction, arguing that the program did not air in Florida or anywhere in the U.S.
“Put simply, the documentary was never aired in Florida, or the US,” a BBC spokesperson said in March, according to Deadline.
U.S. government may get involved
The Financial Times reported that the U.S. government is considering taking part in Trump’s lawsuit. The newspaper cited filings submitted to the Florida court that said the government was “considering participating in this litigation.”
The BBC responded that such a move would create a “conflict of interest” between the state and the President, according to the Financial Times.
Deadline reported that it had contacted the BBC for comment after BBC Studios was dropped from the case.
The edit that sparked the fallout
The case centers on a Panorama edit that joined two sections of Trump’s January 6 Capitol speech in a way that Trump alleges made it appear he was inciting insurrection.
The editing controversy had major consequences inside the BBC. Deadline reported that the fallout cost the broadcaster’s director general and head of news their jobs.
With BBC Studios now out, the legal fight is focused on the BBC itself. The case remains set for trial in February 2027 unless the court dismisses it or the parties reach another resolution before then.
This story draws on original reporting from Deadline.