Sudbury business owners awarded $1.5M for malicious social media attacks

Playing null of undefined

Online attacks took toll, Sudbury woman says

Extended interview with online harassment victim

A judge in Greater Sudbury, Ont., has awarded two business owners $1.5 million after the pair endured vicious and prolonged social media attacks.

The malicious posts were made by the estranged spouse of one of the victims. She now lives in another country and did not respond to the lawsuit. Instead, she continued to make social media attacks until last summer.

In a decision by Superior Court Justice Patrick J. Boucher released earlier this month, the Greater Sudbury-based business owners proved their claim for a “default judgment, claiming general damages, aggravated damages and a permanent injunction against the defendant.”

‘Staggering’ number of posts

“The plaintiffs claim the defendant is responsible for defamatory emails, WhatsApp messages, and social media posts about them and their businesses, which for the purposes of these reasons I will refer to as ‘posts,’” Boucher wrote.

The “staggering” number of social media posts attacking the victims took place between March 2023 and August 2025, the judge said.

Initially, the estranged spouse had access to one of the business owner’s Facebook page and began making defamatory posts and uploading insulting photos, including name-calling and superimposing a feces emoji over the face of one of the victims.

Another Facebook account was created that began posting nearly constant attacks, accusing both of corrupt business practices and sexual impropriety.

The posts were all lies and did considerable harm to both business owners, the judge said.

“The plaintiffs have worked very hard since their arrival in Canada to offer professional services to the public,” Boucher wrote in his decision.

“Their businesses directly employ about 60 people. The defamatory posts are extremely serious because they attack the plaintiffs’ professional integrity.”

One of the victims was Kim Bui, who came to Sudbury from Vietnam and has spent the last eight years building her business, Krystal Beauty Brand, and now has dozens of employees.

“I would not want anyone ever to have to go through what I went through because it’s definitely not easy,” she told CTV News.

“It’s all about being honest, integrity, my dignity. And every single word of those posts were all lies because I’m not that person.”

The posts were non-stop and later expanded to TikTok and YouTube.

“The defamatory posts are extensive and far-reaching, and they were made over a two-year period,” the decision said.

“There has been neither retraction nor apology by the defendant.”

Humiliating attacks

Both business owners were “humiliated” by the attacks, which took a considerable personal toll on them.

“The reputations they have built and earned have been cruelly attacked,” the decision said.

“Their distress and worry are significant and longstanding and were evident during their testimony ... The defendant’s multi-pronged, relentless attack on the plaintiffs added to their humiliation and anxiety. I find the cruel and deeply personal nature of the posts are evidence of actual malice.”

Boucher awarded each victim $350,000 for general damages, as well as $100,000 each for general damages done to the businesses.

Each also received $200,000 in aggravated damages, as well as another $100,000 for aggravated damages to the businesses.

In addition to $1.5 million, the victims were also awarded $35,000 in court and legal costs.

Lawyer Ari Goldkind said it will be hard for the victims in this case to collect the money because the defendant has left the country.

“This is a very powerful, clearly worded, strong decision that’s meant to send a message to other people: ‘Don’t do this kind of slander and defaming,’” Goldkind said.

“But when you have the defendant hiding out across a number of oceans, where does this really take us? I have a lot of sympathy for the business owner, the plaintiff that’s been aggrieved here and has probably spent two, three, four, five years of their life seeking justice. But justice is an ocean away and hiding.”

But Bui said she’s speaking out in hopes of helping others who have endured similar attacks.

“I hope they have family and friends that trust them and give them a chance so that they can prove the truth,” she said.

“Just like what I did and today it can prove the truth is the truth.”

Boucher also ordered that “a permanent injunction shall issue enjoining the defendant from publishing defamatory statements about the plaintiffs and requiring the defendant to remove the defamatory statements about the plaintiffs that she has already published.”