Ex-Playboy Bunny Gets Nothing Off Her Rocker: Judge Tosses Libel Suit

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In Jane Doe v. Sammy Hagar (Case No. 6:2011-cv-02067), United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa Judge Linda A. Reade last week granted summary judgment in favor of the one-time Van Halen vocalist, dismissing a defamation suit brought by a former Playboy bunny who alleged she was libeled by statements in the 65-year-old Hagar's 2011 memoir, Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock.

As reported by the Associated Press, the plaintiff, a Waterloo, Iowa, woman identified only as Jane Doe, alleged she became pregnant with Hagar's child in 1988 after an affair she had with The Red Rocker in the '80s. The child died shortly after birth in 1989.

In his memoir, Hagar denied being the father of the child and accused the woman of trying to extort money from him. Judge Reade said the plaintiff was unable to prove she suffered damages because of the purported offending statement in the memoir and that a key element of a defamation claim--that the false statement be of or concerning the plaintiff--was not satisfied because Hagar did not name her in his book.

Hagar's career as a solo performer and as the lead vocalist for Van Halen after David Lee Roth left the band, boasts several hits, including Little White Lie and Your Love is Driving Me Crazy.