Dana Kavanagh from Dublin sues the 'Umbrella' singer for 'malicious falsehoods' about her husband, claiming that the untrue rumors destroyed her reputation and forced their business to cease trading.
- July 6, 2018
AceShowbiz - Rihanna's efforts to delay court proceedings in a lawsuit filed against her in Ireland have been shut down.
Dana Kavanagh, from Dublin, previously filed suit against the singer for "malicious falsehoods" she allegedly expressed in a July 2013 email to the plaintiff about her husband, Geoffrey Keating, who served as the Umbrella superstar's bodyguard from 2012 to 2013.
The statements in question have not been detailed in reports about the case, but Rihanna has also been accused of repeating the claims in a phone call made to Kavanagh's sister-in-law.
Kavanagh alleges the untrue rumours destroyed the couple's reputation and forced its business, Geoff Keating Media, to cease trading, and she is currently seeking damages for the mental distress and emotional suffering the incidents reportedly caused, according to the Irish Times.
Rihanna, who is listed as a defendant in the lawsuit under her legal name, Robyn Fenty, has denied the accusations, and her lawyers recently filed a motion in Ireland's High Court to halt proceedings, amid claims the papers had not been properly served in accordance with international, U.S. federal, or New York State laws.
A summons was delivered to the concierge of Rihanna's New York apartment building in November, 2015, while another was handed to one of the musician's entourage members at the same address in October, 2016.
Rihanna's lawyers claimed the summons were invalid, but their challenge was dismissed during a High Court hearing on Thursday, July 05, when the judge ruled the service was sufficient enough under Irish law.
The decision means the case can now be proceed to its first proper hearing.
