Guns, Germs--and Libel for Jared Diamond

4/22/2009
John Winn
Nonfiction author sued by New Guinea tribesmen following allegations of murder against the duo.

According to the Associated Press, a formal suit was filed Monday in New York's State Supreme Court against Diamond and Advance Publications, asking for $10 million in damages for emotional distress and defamation.

Henep Isum Mandingo and Hup Daniel Wemp allege that Diamond and the New Yorker damaged their reputations after publishing a story by Diamond that accused the pair of killing the murderer of a clan elder.

Although the lawsuit doesn't name the victim, in a statement, a press agent for the magazine said that it stood by Diamond's April 21, 2008 article, on its Web site.

This is the first time that Diamond has been sued by the subjects he covered. The anthropologist and UCLA professor is more known for his Guns, Germs and Steel series on PBS than depositions in courtrooms.

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