Hunter Biden has dropped his lawsuit accusing Fox News of violating New York revenge porn laws by publishing sexually explicit images of him in its "mock trial" miniseries.
On Sunday, the same day Biden's father announced he would no longer run for reelection, Biden's attorneys filed the voluntary dismissal "without prejudice," meaning the suit can be reopened at a later date. A source told ABC News that Biden's attorneys do plan to refile, though it's still unclear why the suit was dropped.
The lawsuit, filed over three weeks ago, centered on images of the president's son that Fox included in its six-part miniseries "The Trial of Hunter Biden," which aired on the Fox Nation streaming platform in Oct. 2022. The network described the series as a "mock trial" showing "how a possible Hunter Biden trial might look" on charges he hasn't faced.
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In the lawsuit, Biden argued so-called "evidence" used in the series included intimate images and video showing him "in the nude, depicting an unclothed or exposed intimate part of him," as well as him engaging in "sex acts." His attorneys alleged the dissemination of these images to Fox's "vast audience of millions" was done to "humiliate, harass, annoy, and alarm Mr. Biden and to tarnish his reputation."
"Fox knew that these private and confidential images were hacked, stolen, and/or manipulated digital material which were intended to remain private and confidential, but which had been unlawfully procured and disseminated without Mr. Biden's consent," the lawsuit stated.
Fox, which removed the series from Fox Nation in April after Biden threatened to sue, called Biden's lawsuit "entirely politically motivated" and "devoid of merit," while claiming its actions were protected under the First Amendment.
Biden was convicted in June on three federal firearm charges related to lying on a gun purchase form. He's appealing the verdict while also facing a federal tax-related case, scheduled to begin in September. Neither of the cases are related to the charges alleged in "The Trial of Hunter Biden."
