What are the elements of a defamation claim?

To make out a prima facie case, plaintiff must show the statement defendant made was wrongful. "The elements of a defamation claim are (1) a publication that is (2) false, (3) defamatory, (4) unprivileged, and (5) has a natural tendency to injure or causes special damage. [Citation.]" (Wong v. Jing (2010) 189 Cal.App.4th 1354, 1369.)

"Whether a statement can reasonably be given any defamatory interpretation is a legal question that we must resolve by determining the sense or meaning of the statements, under all the circumstances attending the publication, according to the natural and popular construction which would be ascribed to them by the average reader. [Citation.]" (Palm Springs Tennis Club v. Rangel (1999) 73 Cal.App.4th

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