This is the case where Ghost bed is accused of running an illegal smear campaign against Purple Mattress through Ryan Monahan’s website at honestmattressreviews.com
The case was filed February of 2017 after Ryan Monahan and honestmattressreviews.com put out a “article” questioning the safety of Purple Mattress products which use an anti-tack powder inside the mattress. The article allegedly included many false and defamatory statements intended to damage Purple Mattress’ reputation by alleging the powder was unsafe.
Purple Mattress had asked the court for a restraining order forcing Monahan to remove the misleading material from honestmattressreviews.com while the case proceeds. The defendants opposed the restraining order, saying that there was no affiliation between ghost bed and Ryan Monahan.
Purple Mattress has maintained the position that Monahan was secretly working for ghost bed and that the honestmattressreviews.com site was used to illegally mislead customers about the safety of Purples products and the independence of Monahan’s reviews.
Purple was so insistent about this connection that it pursued an investigation and found evidence of such a connection from Ghostbed’s former director of marketing.
Purple request sanctions or punishment for Defendants’ alleged lies and misconduct.
Let’s see what the judge has to say about that:
Purple Mattress wins money Sanctions against Ghostbed and HonestMattressReviews.com
Defendants Ryan Monahan and Honest Reviews have filed an Appeal:
Defendants Honest Reviews and Ryan Monahan Appeal Brief
We are currently waiting on Purple’s response, due 4/4/2018:
Those same Defendants had filed for an Emergency Stay of the District Court’s Injunction:
Defendants Honest Reviews and Ryan Monahan Emergency Motion to Stay
It was denied:
Here’s an appellate docket printout for those interested:
2018_02_16 Appeal 17-4144 Docket without parties contact info