Washington, D.C. – Alexis Wilkins, a Nashville-based country music singer and longtime girlfriend of FBI Director Kash Patel, has filed a $5 million defamation lawsuit against conservative podcaster Elijah Schaffer, accusing him of implying—through a single “wordless” retweet—that she was an Israeli spy.
The lawsuit, filed October 28 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, contends that Schaffer’s viral post exploited Wilkins’ public relationship with Patel to “drive engagement and fuel malicious speculation” about her identity.
Wilkins, 27, claims the insinuation subjected her to harassment, reputational harm, and threats, effectively portraying her as a “honeypot” operative who seduced a senior U.S. official for espionage purposes.
The Retweet That Triggered the Firestorm
The dispute stems from Schaffer’s September 14 post on X (formerly Twitter). He retweeted a thread by Israeli activist Hen Mazzig, describing Mossad’s historic use of female agents who “seduced high-ranking enemy officials.” Without adding any words, Schaffer attached a photograph of Wilkins and Patel attending a formal event.
The post went viral, amassing millions of views and thousands of reposts—and, according to Wilkins’ complaint, it functioned as “an unmistakable accusation” that she was among those spies.
“While Defendant may not have included any caption to spell out the meaning of his post, he didn’t have to,” the lawsuit reads. “The juxtaposition of the image and thread made his intent clear.”
Defamation or Free Speech? The Legal Hurdle Ahead
To prevail, Wilkins must overcome one of the highest standards in U.S. defamation law: the New York Times Co. v. Sullivan (1964) precedent, which requires public figures to prove “actual malice.” That means demonstrating that Schaffer either knew his implication was false or acted with reckless disregard for the truth.
Legal experts note that Florida courts have often extended strong First Amendment protection to digital expression, including retweets, interpreting them as sharing rather than endorsing another user’s message.
If the court views Schaffer’s post as a mere resharing without commentary, Wilkins’ case could face significant challenges.
A Pattern of Digital Defamation Battles
This is not Wilkins’ first courtroom battle over online insinuations. In August, she filed a separate $5 million lawsuit in Texas against former FBI agent and podcaster Kyle Seraphin, who allegedly referenced her as a “former Mossad agent” engaged in a “honeypot” scheme involving Patel.
Seraphin dismissed his remarks as “satire” and has moved to have the case thrown out.
Schaffer, for his part, has yet to publicly comment on the latest lawsuit.
The episode underscores a growing trend in the digital age—where a retweet, a meme, or even silence itself can spark multimillion-dollar litigation, blurring the boundaries between free speech, implication, and defamation.
