Jameis Winston Threatens Lawsuit Over CNN ‘The Hunting Ground,’ ‘Expose of Rape On US College Campuses’

The Hunting Ground, a documentary directed by Kirby Dick and described as an “expose of rape” by IMDb, is scheduled to air on CNN at 8 p.m. ET this evening, despite Tampa Bay Buccaneer’s Quarterback Jameis Winston’s lawyer’s threats of a lawsuit against the network if they proceed. Winston was accused of rape by Erica Kinsman in 2012.

In a letter addressed to CNN, dated November 20 and published by the Hollywood Reporter, Jameis Winston’s lawyer, John Boudet, advises CNN that he believes that parts of The Hunting Ground are “false and defamatory.” The lawyer’s letter states “we urge CNN to reconsider” its planned broadcast of a “deeply flawed” documentary.

The letter to CNN further explains Boudet’s belief that CNN has “actual knowledge” that the film is filled with “factual errors and factual assertions” that have been “deliberately” presented to viewers in a manner that is designed to present Winston in a “false, negative and defamatory light.”

After learning about the letter to CNN, The Hunting Ground director Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering, made a statement.

“We fully stand behind Erica Kinsman’s account, and the accounts of all the subjects in our film,” the filmmakers statement reads. The team then discussed their feelings with regard to their perception that when documentaries challenge institutions and people in positions of power it is not unusual for them to attempt to silence those viewed as “critics.”

The filmmakers invite audiences to view the documentary and make up their minds for themselves.

Hunting

Jameis Winston was investigated, but never charged, for rape, in an incident that took place on December 7, 2012, when Winston was still as student with Florida State University, according to CBS. Copies of police documents are available with the City of Tallahassee.

After the investigation of Winston for the December 2012 incident, he was quoted shouting “F*** her right in the p****!” while standing on a table at Florida State University. The incident resulted in Jameis Winston being suspended for a September, 2014, game against Clemson, according to the Guardian.

“First of all, I want to apologize to the university, to my coaches and to my teammates,” Jameis Winston was quoted after the outburst. “I’m not a me person, but in that situation it was a selfish act, and that’s not how you do things around here. I really want to apologize to my teammates, because I’ve done a selfish act.”

Despite the fact that Winston has never been charged in the December, 2012, incident, Kinsman brought a civil suit against the NFL pro in May of 2014. Winston immediately countersued, citing “tortious interference” and “defamation.”

In September, 2015, U.S. District Court Judge Anne C. Conway dismissed Winston’s “tortious interference” claim, but allowed his “defamation” claim to proceed. The court then combined Kinsman‘s and Winston’s suits. They are scheduled to be heard in Florida beginning in May, 2017, according to USA Today.

The Hunting Ground premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2015, and has been screened at a number of other film festivals, including the San Francisco Humans Rights Film Festival, the Melbourne International Film Festival, and the Stockholm International Film Festival. The Hunting Ground is also available for purchase on iTunes.

Jameis Winston was cited for “shoplifting crab legs” at a Publix store in 2014, for which he was fined $30 and sentenced to perform community service, according to SB Nation. Winston has also be questioned with regard to a 2012 “BB gun battle” that resulted in 13 windows being broken out of an apartment building and an incident involving the theft of soft drinks from a Burger King, according to ESPN.

Jameis Winston is 21-years-old and won the Heisman Trophy for Florida State in 2013. He was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ first round pick in the 2015 NFL draft.

[Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images]