SmileDirectClub Sues NBC for $2.85 Billion
SmileDirectClub (SDC) “sued NBC in Tennessee federal court seeking more than $2.85 billion. The teledentistry company claims the network made more than 40 false and misleading statements in a February 2020 broadcast of NBC Nightly News With Lester Holt, including that SDC-affiliated doctors aren’t involved in treating patients, that the company’s platform amounts to “do it yourself” dentistry and that it flouts state and federal regulations,” reports Ashley Cullins in The Hollywood Reporter’s Labor.
“SmileDirectClub also alleges NBC was aware of the inaccuracies because the company had sent hundreds of pages of documents about its treatments, made senior officers available for questions, and offered to arrange interviews with dentists, orthodontists and patients. It also alleges that it told the network ‘dental trade associations and organizations have orchestrated a campaign to discredit SDC and, therefore, had a motivation to publish false information about SDC, including regarding the safety of treatment’ and says reporter Vicky Nguyen had a conflict of interest because her husband is an anesthesiologist at a brick-and-mortar oral surgery practice that competes with SDC.”
“SDC is suing for defamation and violation of the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act.”
