Tea Dating Advice App Sued for Defamation Over Posts

Many people use dating sites to meet people. With so much crime occurring all over the country on a daily basis, women want to use apps that will keep them safe while meeting others.

The Tea Dating Advice app, which was launched in 2023, is useful for this purpose. The app markets itself as a platform to help women “date safely in a world that often overlooks their protection.” After going viral on social media in July, it quickly rose to the top of Apple’s App Store, gaining hundreds of thousands of users and more than 127,000 ratings, making it the #1 lifestyle app.

But its rapid growth has also led to controversy. At least two residents from Detroit, Michigan have filed defamation lawsuits over posts on the app, while the Tea Dating Advice app itself faces multiple lawsuits nationwide, including class actions stemming from data breaches that exposed user information.

On July 9, the plaintiff filed a lawsuit in Oakland County Circuit Court after a post accused him of being a rapist. Court records show he has no charges in Macomb, Oakland, or Wayne counties. His lawsuit sought subpoenas to identify the anonymous poster, remove the post, and ban any future content about him.

According to his complaint, the post falsely claimed: “Certified rapist, tried to (expletive) one of my friends back in college at Wayne, would stalk her all around campus and would call her off a million private numbers.” He said this information was not true and that the post caused severe emotional distress.

When he asked the app’s support team to remove it, the company allegedly refused, saying the poster “confirmed the truth of the statements.” A judge denied teh plaintiff’s request to seal the case from the public, and he dismissed his own lawsuit on August 7.

Another case was filed July 17 by another Plaintiff, who alleged three accounts posted “vile and defamatory” claims intended to humiliate and damage her reputation. According to her lawsuit, one post included a photo of four women, including the Plaintiff, and accused them of “sleeping around with married men for money.” Her attorney claims she was branded as both “a sex worker and a malicious liar.” Elsayed is seeking damages over $25,000 and court approval to pursue discovery to identify the posters. The case remains pending.

The expanded use of the app has led to legal challenges. Defamation lawsuits tied to these apps are difficult to win. Plaintiffs must prove the statements are false and not protected as opinion, and courts are often forgiving of free-speech defenses. Statements falsely accusing someone of a crime are automatically defamatory, but other claims — such as sexual misconduct — are harder to litigate. Since the Tea app is anonymous, identifying posters requires subpoenas, making cases even more challenging.

Contact a Defamation Lawyer Today

Social media and app use can lead to lies and hurtful remarks that can ruin a person’s reputation. These words can cause a lot of harm.

A Bradenton defamation lawyer from Cahall Law Firm can help you get compensation and justice. Schedule a consultation today by filling out the online form or calling (941) 281-2019.

Source:

detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2025/08/18/tea-app-dating-advice-users-face-defamation-lawsuits-over-posts-women-date-safely-men-insults/85615891007/