Jan Roos and Dennis Schouten must pay a compensation of 5000 euros to John de Mol because of the accusations they made about him in their YouTube series gossip. The judge determined this on Wednesday in the case brought by De Mol against the two media makers.
Roos and Schouten had to answer for saying in an episode of their online program last year that De Mol would have bribed three people who witnessed the abuse of Shima Kaes by her ex Johnny de Mol, the son of John de Mol. The media mogul denied through his lawyer Peter Plasman that this happened and demanded compensation of 27,500 euros.
The conversation was taken from the episode of gossip cut, because they “didn’t feel like a legal conflict.” But De Mol was of the opinion that the rectification was ‘designed in a mocking and offensive way’ and that the presenters thus ‘only confirm’ their earlier statements to a large audience.
The court is of the opinion that Roos and Schouten have insufficiently substantiated their statements with documents or statements. De Mol’s interests therefore outweigh those of the presenters who invoke freedom of expression. Because the private life of the media mogul has been infringed and his honor and reputation have been violated, he is entitled to compensation. However, the court finds the demanded amount of 27,500 euros too high, but 5,000 euros is ‘appropriate’.
‘Lost trust’
Roos said after an earlier hearing about this that he had already ‘lost confidence in lawsuits a while ago’. The program makers have already lost two other lawsuits against them, including that of singer Famke Louise. “We lost that case on the grounds that you think: this is not possible at all,” said Roos at the time.
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