Boxer and influencer Jake Paul spent more than two years fighting a defamation lawsuit filed by promoter Eddie Hearn and his company, Matchroom Boxing, after Paul publicly accused them of bribing a boxing judge.

The case drew wide attention in combat sports circles because of its size — plaintiffs sought more than $100 million in damages — and because it pitted one of boxing’s most established promoters against one of the sport’s most prominent crossover stars.

This dispute is part of a broader pattern of legal fights Paul has been involved in around his boxing career, including more recent, still-unfiled threats of legal action following his December 2025 fight against Anthony Joshua.

Here’s a detail many fans missed: despite a federal judge refusing to throw the case out in October 2024, both sides quietly settled just months later, with the exact terms never made public.

Quick Facts

Plaintiff	Matchroom Boxing Limited and Eddie Hearn, joined by boxing judge Glenn Feldman as plaintiff-intervenor
Defendant	Jake Paul
Court	U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
Case Type	Individual civil lawsuit (defamation) — not a class action
Core Allegation	Paul falsely claimed Matchroom Boxing paid judge Glenn Feldman to score fights in favor of its boxers
Filing Date	September 17, 2022

What Is the Jake Paul Lawsuit About?

The Jake Paul lawsuit that dominated headlines for over two years centers on comments Paul made in a September 2022 IFL TV interview, in which he suggested boxing judge Glenn Feldman was financially compromised by Matchroom Boxing.

Matchroom and its founder, Eddie Hearn, filed a defamation lawsuit against Paul just days after the interview aired, arguing his comments were false and damaged their reputations. Feldman later joined the case as a plaintiff-intervenor.

Key Takeaway: This was a private defamation dispute between individuals and a company — not a class action, and not a case with any public payout for outside members of the public.

Who Are the Parties Involved?

Several figures from the boxing world were directly involved in the litigation.

• Jake Paul: The YouTuber-turned-boxer and defendant in the lawsuit, represented by his own legal team throughout the case.
• Eddie Hearn: Founder of Matchroom Boxing and a co-plaintiff in the suit.
• Matchroom Boxing Limited: The UK-based boxing promotion company that filed suit alongside Hearn.
• Glenn Feldman: The veteran boxing judge Paul’s comments referenced directly; Feldman joined the case as a plaintiff-intervenor.

Key Takeaway: With three plaintiffs (Hearn, Matchroom, and Feldman) all suing over the same comments, Paul faced a coordinated legal effort rather than a single individual claim.

Timeline: How the Jake Paul Lawsuit Dispute Started

The case moved from a single interview to a filed federal lawsuit in a matter of days, then took over two years to resolve.

• September 2022: Paul states in an IFL TV interview that judge Glenn Feldman was “getting paid money by Matchroom Boxing,” referencing the Amanda Serrano vs. Katie Taylor fight (April 2022) and the Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua rematch (August 2022).
• September 17, 2022: Matchroom Boxing and Eddie Hearn file a defamation lawsuit against Paul in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, seeking more than $100 million in damages.
• October 2022: Glenn Feldman joins the lawsuit as a plaintiff-intervenor.
• October 1, 2024: The presiding judge denies Paul’s motion to dismiss the case, allowing the defamation claims to move toward trial.
• October 16, 2024: A hearing is scheduled to continue moving the case forward.
• March 18, 2025: All parties notify the court they have reached a settlement.
• April 2025: The case is formally dismissed with prejudice following the settlement.

Key Takeaway: The case survived a motion to dismiss, a major milestone that often pushes defendants toward settlement rather than risking a jury trial.

Key Allegations Explained

At the heart of the lawsuit were Paul’s specific on-camera claims about judge Glenn Feldman and Matchroom Boxing.

• Paul stated that Feldman was “clearly” being paid by Matchroom Boxing to favor its fighters.
• The comments referenced two specific bouts: Amanda Serrano vs. Katie Taylor in April 2022, and the Usyk vs. Joshua rematch in August 2022.
• Hearn’s attorney argued that boxing judges are assigned and paid by state or national athletic commissions, not by promotional companies like Matchroom, directly undercutting the factual basis of Paul’s claim.
• Feldman publicly called the bribery accusation “outlandishly false and baseless.”

Key Takeaway: The core legal question wasn’t whether Paul had a right to criticize judging decisions — it was whether his specific claim of a financial bribe was factually false and made with the level of fault required to prove defamation.

Legal Claims Being Made

The lawsuit centered on a single primary legal theory, though it was pursued by multiple plaintiffs.

• Defamation: Hearn, Matchroom, and Feldman all alleged Paul’s statements were false and damaged their professional reputations.
• Plaintiffs’ attorney additionally argued Paul acted with “malicious intent,” a standard often relevant to defamation claims involving public figures.

Key Takeaway: Because Hearn, Matchroom, and Feldman are all recognizable public figures in boxing, the case likely required plaintiffs to show a heightened level of fault — often described as “actual malice” — rather than simple negligence.

What the Plaintiffs Were Seeking

Hearn, Matchroom Boxing, and Feldman sought more than $100 million in combined damages, citing financial and reputational harm from Paul’s comments.

The exact breakdown of damages between the three plaintiffs, and any final settlement amount, has not been publicly disclosed. Court filings and news reports describe the settlement reached in March 2025 as confidential.

Key Takeaway: A $100 million demand doesn’t necessarily reflect what a case ultimately settles for — confidential settlements in defamation cases often resolve for a fraction of the amount originally sought.

Jake Paul’s Response and Denials

Paul maintained his position throughout the litigation, continuing to publicly question the fairness of Feldman’s scoring in the referenced fights even as the lawsuit proceeded.

Rather than retracting his comments early, Paul’s legal team fought the case through a motion to dismiss, which the court denied in October 2024, before ultimately agreeing to a settlement roughly five months later.

Key Takeaway: Paul’s decision to litigate through the motion-to-dismiss stage, rather than settling immediately, suggests his team believed there was a viable defense before ultimately choosing to resolve the case privately.

Court and Case Details

The Jake Paul lawsuit was formally filed and litigated in federal court in New York.

• Case Name: Matchroom Boxing Limited, et al. v. Paul
• Case Number: 1:22-cv-08178 (PGG)
• Court: U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
• Judge: Paul G. Gardephe, with pretrial matters referred to Magistrate Judge Henry J. Ricardo

Key Takeaway: This was a federal defamation case, not a state court dispute — a detail that shaped which legal standards and procedural rules applied throughout.

Current Legal Status and Latest Update 2026

The Matchroom/Hearn defamation lawsuit against Jake Paul is closed. The case was dismissed with prejudice in April 2025 following the parties’ confidential settlement, meaning it cannot be refiled.

Separately, in the entertainment and boxing press in late 2025 and early 2026, Paul and his promotional company, Most Valuable Promotions, have publicly threatened new legal action against social media critics who claimed his December 19, 2025 fight against Anthony Joshua was “scripted” or rigged. As of this writing, no such lawsuit has been formally filed in any court — these remain public threats, including a cease-and-desist letter reportedly sent to boxer Deontay Wilder over similar comments.

Key Takeaway: The original, fully litigated Jake Paul lawsuit against Matchroom and Hearn is finished, but Paul’s willingness to pursue legal action against critics suggests further litigation could emerge from the Joshua fight fallout.

What Happened After the Jake Paul Lawsuit Settled

Because the case ended in a dismissal with prejudice, there is no pending appeal or further proceeding in the Matchroom/Hearn matter itself.

1. The settlement, reached in March 2025, remains confidential, with no publicly disclosed payment amount.
2. Neither Paul nor Hearn has publicly reversed or elaborated on their original public statements since the settlement.
3. Any future defamation-related litigation involving Paul, such as the threatened action tied to the Joshua fight, would be a separate, newly filed case rather than a continuation of this one.

Key Takeaway: A confidential settlement and dismissal with prejudice typically means the matter is permanently closed between these specific parties, barring some extraordinary legal development.

Other Jake Paul Legal Disputes for Context

Paul has been involved in other legal disputes beyond the Matchroom/Hearn case, though most remain in early or threatened stages rather than fully litigated lawsuits.

• Following his December 19, 2025 loss to Anthony Joshua by sixth-round knockout, Paul and MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian publicly stated they were pursuing legal action against social media accounts alleging the fight was fixed, though no lawsuit had been filed as of early 2026.
• Paul’s team reportedly sent a cease-and-desist letter to boxer Deontay Wilder over similar “scripted fight” comments, with Paul stating further legal action would follow if the comments continued.
• These newer disputes are legally separate from the resolved Matchroom/Hearn case and involve different parties, different claims, and, as of this writing, no confirmed court filings.

For broader context on how celebrity defamation disputes typically move from public statements to formal litigation, see our related coverage of other individual defamation lawsuits involving public figures.

Key Takeaway: If you’re searching for “the Jake Paul lawsuit” in 2026, it’s worth distinguishing between the now-closed Matchroom/Hearn case and any newer, still-unfiled threats tied to the Joshua fight.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Jake Paul lawsuit about?

The main Jake Paul lawsuit was a defamation case filed by Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing in September 2022, after Paul publicly claimed the promotion paid boxing judge Glenn Feldman to favor its fighters. Feldman later joined as a plaintiff. The case was litigated in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York for more than two years before the parties settled confidentially in March 2025, and the case was dismissed with prejudice in April 2025.

Who is involved in the Jake Paul lawsuit?

The lawsuit involved boxer Jake Paul as the defendant, and boxing promoter Eddie Hearn, his company Matchroom Boxing Limited, and boxing judge Glenn Feldman as plaintiffs. The case was heard by Judge Paul G. Gardephe in the Southern District of New York. It is unrelated to newer, still-unfiled legal threats Paul and his team have made against social media critics following his December 2025 fight against Anthony Joshua.

What were the plaintiffs seeking in damages?

Hearn, Matchroom Boxing, and Feldman sought more than $100 million in combined damages, citing financial and reputational harm from Paul’s on-camera bribery accusation. The exact final settlement amount was not publicly disclosed, as the parties reached a confidential resolution in March 2025 rather than proceeding to a jury verdict, so the original demand does not necessarily reflect what was ultimately paid, if anything.

Why did Jake Paul and Eddie Hearn settle instead of going to trial?

Court records show the case survived a motion to dismiss in October 2024, meaning a judge found the defamation claims legally viable enough to proceed. Facing the cost, uncertainty, and public exposure of a jury trial, both sides opted for a confidential settlement in March 2025 rather than litigating further, a common outcome once high-profile defamation cases clear early dismissal hurdles.

What is the current status of the Jake Paul lawsuit?

The original Matchroom Boxing and Eddie Hearn lawsuit against Jake Paul is closed, having been dismissed with prejudice in April 2025 after a confidential settlement. As of mid-2026, no new lawsuit has been filed regarding Paul’s more recent threats of legal action against critics of his December 2025 fight against Anthony Joshua, though his team has indicated further legal action could still follow.

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The Bottom Line on the Jake Paul Lawsuit

The defining Jake Paul lawsuit — Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing’s defamation case over judge-bribing accusations — is fully resolved, closed by a confidential settlement and formal dismissal in 2025.

Because this was an individual defamation case rather than a class action, there was never a public compensation process, and nothing for outside readers to file or join. The financial terms of the resolution remain private between the parties.

What’s worth watching going forward:

• Whether Paul’s team follows through on threatened legal action tied to fixed-fight claims surrounding the Anthony Joshua bout.
• Whether any new defendant, such as Deontay Wilder or other social media critics, is formally named in a future filing.
• Official court records, rather than social media claims, for confirmation if any new Jake Paul lawsuit is actually filed.

Readers interested in Paul’s legal history should treat the Matchroom/Hearn case as closed, and any newer “Jake Paul lawsuit” headlines tied to the Joshua fight as separate, unconfirmed developments until an actual complaint is filed in court.

• ESPN, “Matchroom boxing promoter Eddie Hearn files $100M defamation suit against Jake Paul”
• ESPN, “Judge refuses to dismiss defamation lawsuit vs. Jake Paul”
• Yahoo Sports, “Jake Paul, Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing reach settlement in $100M defamation lawsuit”
• CBS Sports, “Jake Paul and Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing reach settlement in defamation lawsuits”
• CourtListener, Matchroom Boxing Limited v. Paul, No. 1:22-cv-08178 (S.D.N.Y.)
• Capital XTRA, “Is Jake Paul suing Anthony Joshua?”
• The Sun, “Jake Paul’s team planning to SUE over sensational rigged-fight claims”
• TheSportster, “Jake Paul Suing Over Anthony Joshua Fight Script Claims”

Sources

• ESPN, “Matchroom boxing promoter Eddie Hearn files $100M defamation suit against Jake Paul”
• ESPN, “Judge refuses to dismiss defamation lawsuit vs. Jake Paul”
• Yahoo Sports, “Jake Paul, Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing reach settlement in $100M defamation lawsuit”
• CBS Sports, “Jake Paul and Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing reach settlement in defamation lawsuits”
• CourtListener, Matchroom Boxing Limited v. Paul, No. 1:22-cv-08178 (S.D.N.Y.)
• Capital XTRA, “Is Jake Paul suing Anthony Joshua?”
• The Sun, “Jake Paul’s team planning to SUE over sensational rigged-fight claims”
• TheSportster, “Jake Paul Suing Over Anthony Joshua Fight Script Claims”