River North restaurant Hubbard Inn has filed a defamation lawsuit against Julia Reel, a TikTok user who posted a viral video accusing restaurant staff of injuring her.
The lawsuit, filed by the law firm Forde & O’Meara on March 18, charges a count of defamation with a loss of over $30,000 in damages due to canceled reservations and one-star reviews, as well as damage to the restaurant’s reputation.
It’s the latest escalation in a series of back-and-forth allegations between the restaurant and Reel since she posted the video describing an alleged incident at Hubbard Inn. Reel has retained legal services with the law firm of Corboy & Demetrio.
Hubbard Inn, on 110 W. Hubbard St., is a three-story restaurant and bar owned by Carmen Rossi. The restaurant’s lawsuit states that the incident occurred between the evening of March 9 and morning of March 10.
In the now-deleted original video, Reel alleged that she was pushed down a flight of stairs by a bouncer at Hubbard Inn. In her account, there was a rapid escalation with restaurant staff where staff “manhandled” her. She alleged that a staff member grabbed her and dragged her out, culminating in her being pushed and sent “flying down the staircase.” After this, she alleged she started to yell and push back at him, resulting in the bouncer shoving her a second time down the “rest of the staircase.”
The video spread across social media and was viewed hundreds of thousands of times. Reel received a range of responses, including sympathy, advice and skepticism.
Reel’s initial video led to cancellations, threats of violence against staff and negative reviews for Hubbard Inn. The restaurant said it investigated security footage and interviewed staff, and alleges that Reel’s version of the story was false. They asked Reel to take down her video and review the footage, but said they received no response.
On March 14, Hubbard Inn posted a TikTok video in response, pairing Reel’s version of the story with partial security footage. In the video, a man displaying security credentials leads two women identified as Reel and her roommate to the stairwell without appearing to push or drag them. It also shows a partial view of the stairwell, showing Reel walking ahead of the bouncer. Though there is no audible dialogue, text on the screen says Reel’s roommate is “apologizing repeatedly for her behavior” as she’s walked out.
“She was politely escorted off the premises, ensuring a safe exit,” Hubbard Inn’s video states. The restaurant’s lawsuit states that Reel was escorted out after being verbally abusive to staff in the second-floor bathroom.
Social media users then turned on Reel, accusing her of lying about her experience. Reel deleted or restricted much of her social media in response to the backlash.
On March 16, Reel posted a statement from Corboy & Demetrio on TikTok announcing that they were investigating on her behalf and had found facts “entirely contrary to the misleading narrative” from Hubbard Inn’s video. They said the surveillance footage does not cover the 2 minutes of the incident nor the exact location where it took place. The statement also added that Reel went to the hospital with a concussion and visible lacerations.
“Respectfully, we urge the public to hold off on a rush to judgment and/or victim shaming until all of the evidence is presented in a court of law,” the statement concludes.
This prompted Hubbard Inn to file their defamation lawsuit, which disputes the statement from Reel’s legal team, saying, at most, approximately 45 seconds are missing from the footage. Hubbard Inn is requesting a trial by jury.
“We are a small business and the staff is family, which is why we had no choice but to take this step after they posted another video attacking our establishment,” a spokesperson for Hubbard Inn told the Tribune.
In a formal statement, Reel’s legal team stated, “We will have no additional comment during the pendency of litigation. The civil justice system is well equipped to resolve the disputes between the parties.”
The Tribune has reached out to Reel and Hubbard Inn’s legal teams for additional comment.