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Lions fan files $100M lawsuit after DK Metcalf clash, denies racial slur claims

Ryan Kennedy alleges defamation and assault after DK Metcalf grabbed him at Ford Field, seeking $100 million in damages and public retractions for false racial slur claims.

  • On Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, Ryan Kennedy filed a $100 million lawsuit in Wayne County Circuit Court, seeking damages for defamation, negligence, and related claims against Metcalf, Johnson, and others.
  • During the Dec. 21, 2025 game at Ford Field, video shows DK Metcalf reaching into the stands and grabbing Ryan Kennedy by the shirt collar along the front-row railing behind the Steelers' bench.
  • On Dec. 22, 2025, the Nightcap podcast was accused of amplifying claims that branded Kennedy as a racist, spreading widely across media and social platforms, Kennedy's lawsuit alleges.
  • The NFL suspended DK Metcalf for two games without pay for entering the stands and making physical contact, ending his regular season, while Kennedy says allegations harmed his mortgage business and reputation and named defendants had no public retractions as of Tuesday.
  • The complaint lists nine counts, including two counts of defamation against Metcalf and media companies and negligence claims against Ford Field Management LLC; Kennedy will hold a press conference Wednesday, Feb. 4 at 1 p.m.
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WJBK broke the news in on Tuesday, February 3, 2026.
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