February's Pre-Valentine's Day 'Love' Event

Cover of Courtney Love

Mediabistro.com's FishbowlLA and Hollywood Reporter's THR-Esq.'s Web sites are atwitter over the defamation trial scheduled for Feb. 6 involving Kurt Cobain's widow, singer/actress Courtney Love, and fashion designer Dawn Simorangkir.

Simorangkir sued Love in Los Angeles Superior Court last year (Dawn Simorangkir a/k/a Dawn Younger-Smith a/k/a Boudoir Queen v. Courtney Michelle Love and Does 1-25 inclusive, Case No. BC41059), alleging defamation, invasion of privacy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, among other claims, arising from purported Tweets by Love. (See "TUOL" post 8/25/09.)

Love, the vocalist for Hole, allegedly called Simorangkir a prostitute, drug addict and a "nasty, lying hosebag thief" according to the plaintiff's complaint.  Beyond the tabloid interest generated by the controversial Love's involvement, the case offers the legal novelty of the anticipated testimony by social media expert Jesse Stricchiola, whom the plaintiff has retained to quantify the purported damage done to Simorangkir's reputation by the alleged Tweets. Gauging how many people saw the allegedly offensive Tweets and how the microbloggers perceived them poses a challenge to Stricchiola.