AC45400 - Stevens v. Khalily (“On appeal, the plaintiff claims that
the court improperly struck counts nine and twelve, which alleged defamation
against Shahram and Diana respectively, for failure to plead defamation with
the requisite specificity. The plaintiff argues that counts nine and twelve of
the operative complaint ‘‘adequately identify the alleged defamatory
statements, who made them and to whom they were made, which is what is required
of defamation pleadings under Connecticut law and practice.’’ We conclude that
the court properly granted the motion to strike counts nine and twelve because
the plaintiff has failed to plead reputational harm, an element required to
establish a prima facie case of defamation at common law. Because the plaintiff
has failed to plead all four elements of defamation, we need not reach the
plaintiff’s claim that the court improperly granted the motion to strike on the
grounds that he failed to plead the elements of defamation with the requisite
specificity. We affirm the judgment of the court.”)