Cal. Court of Appeals Reverses Trial Court's Denial of Apple's Anti-SLAPP Motion in Discrimination Case

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On 3/28/25, in Sexton v. Apple Studios, LLC, the California Court of Appeals overturned the trial court's denial of Apple's Anti-SLAPP motion in a case involving an actor who refused to get vaccinated during COVID and sued Apple when it withdrew its employment offer and cast a different actor. The Court found that Apple's casting decision was in furtherance of free speech in connection with two public issues: (1) Apple (a prominent public company) had made a controversial decision to support vaccination, and (2) Apple had made a casting decision in deciding how to portray a historical American figure. The Court also held that Apple had presented evidence that Sexton had no privacy claim because Apple could rely on sensible ways to protect its workplace, and that Sexton's discrimination claim failed because he was unqualified, since safety was a job requirement he could not satisfy.

https://www4.courts.ca.gov/opinions/documents/B333481.PDF

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