California, United States of America
The following excerpt is from Hennessey v. Bank of Am., F072605 (Cal. App. 2017):
" 'The sine qua non of recovery for defamation . . . is the existence of falsehood.' " (McGarry v. University of San Diego (2007) 154 Cal.App.4th 97, 112.) Statements of fact are actionable as defamation, but statements of opinion are constitutionally protected. (Ibid.) Opinions do not enjoy blanket constitutional protection, however; even when a statement is couched in terms of an opinion, it may be
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