Someone created a negative site about me

[Anonymous]

A few years ago, I messed up badly at a job. I was young and dumb, and I made mistakes. The employer turned out to be a really vengeful person. She blasted what I did all over the internet and actually wrote a blog post about it. She also included screenshots of some text messages that we exchanged. My name is distinctive and that website is the first result in any google search about me. I have no proof, but I think it is costing me jobs.

What can I do? I have thought about suing her for defamation, but she has proof of everything she says. She also has a lot more money than me and hates me enough to fight it out in court. She refuses to take the website down.

[Anonymous]

Does it easily come up if you search your name? Can you only lust that job without any reference to her?

It definetly reflects negatively on her. How damaging is it to you?

[Anonymous]

You may have a case for invasion of privacy, depending on the state you're in/where this happened.

Is what she saying untrue? If so, then you do have a defamation case. It's unclear what you mean by "she has proof of everything she says."

[Anonymous]

Lesson learned and move on. Perhaps it's something else preventing you from getting/holding a job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does it easily come up if you search your name? Can you only lust that job without any reference to her?

It definetly reflects negatively on her. How damaging is it to you?

It is the first result in a google search for my name. It is pretty damaging - makes me out to be unprofessional, lazy, crazy and worse. I never list her as a reference, so that is not the problem. The website she dedicated to me is the problem.

[Anonymous]

What the heck did you do that she holds such a grudge against you?? What industry is this? Maybe there's some other tort you could sue her for.

[Anonymous]

I would see if one of those "reputation defender" websites could help you. Maybe get results down to page 2 on Google. A more drastic measure might be to start using a nickname, or your middle name. Something to break the association.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You may have a case for invasion of privacy, depending on the state you're in/where this happened.

Is what she saying untrue? If so, then you do have a defamation case. It's unclear what you mean by "she has proof of everything she says."

Can you tell me more about invasion of privacy?

When I say she has proof, I mean exactly that. She has texts and emails and documents that back up what she says about me. She is not lying, but I have changed and she is still making life hard years later.

How can I win a defamation lawsuit if what she saying is true?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does it easily come up if you search your name? Can you only lust that job without any reference to her?

It definetly reflects negatively on her. How damaging is it to you?

It is the first result in a google search for my name. It is pretty damaging - makes me out to be unprofessional, lazy, crazy and worse. I never list her as a reference, so that is not the problem. The website she dedicated to me is the problem.

Legally this might be considered libel.

[jsteele]

You can try contacting whoever hosts the website. It might violate their terms is service.

Or, make a website about her and then agree that you will both remove them.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:You can try contacting whoever hosts the website. It might violate their terms is service.

Or, make a website about her and then agree that you will both remove them.

I am afraid of making a website about her because I don’t really have much on her. If I go and make a website and she sues me for defamation, what do I do then?

[Anonymous]

Aren't there companies you can hire to clear your internet history? I swear someone posted one recently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does it easily come up if you search your name? Can you only lust that job without any reference to her?

It definetly reflects negatively on her. How damaging is it to you?

It is the first result in a google search for my name. It is pretty damaging - makes me out to be unprofessional, lazy, crazy and worse. I never list her as a reference, so that is not the problem. The website she dedicated to me is the problem.

Legally this might be considered libel.

A lawyer I talked to says it is not defamation if it is true. Even if what happened was years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Aren't there companies you can hire to clear your internet history? I swear someone posted one recently.

I am the OP (every comment responding as “I” in this thread so far was me, but I will make it clear from now on). I thought of hiring one of those companies, but then I read an article about how a girl who hired them actually had that backfire on her. Can anyone recommend a good company?

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:You can try contacting whoever hosts the website. It might violate their terms is service.

Or, make a website about her and then agree that you will both remove them.

I am afraid of making a website about her because I don’t really have much on her. If I go and make a website and she sues me for defamation, what do I do then?

If she sues you, that’s when you can negotiate the removal of both sites. But, trying to contact the hosting service first is probably better.