Can a person be sued for defamation if the statement was made in a private conversation?

Yes, a person can be sued for defamation even if the statement was made in a private conversation in California. In California, defamation law states that defamation occurs when a person communicates a false statement of fact about another person that causes harm to their reputation. The injury must be proven for the person to be successfully sued. The statement must be "unprivileged," which means that it is not protected by any legal privilege, and it must be heard or seen by a third party other than the speaker and the person about whom the statement is made. A private conversation between two people does not constitute a privileged communication, so it is possible that a person can be sued for defamation for a statement made in private. This does not mean, however, that every statement made in a private conversation is actionable. In California, the statement must be particularly offensive, defamatory, and untrue in order for it to constitute defamation. A statement must also be communicated to a third party other than the speaker and the person about whom the statement is made. If the statement does not meet the legal definition of defamation, then it is not actionable.

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Can a person be sued for defamation if the statement was made in a private conversation?

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