From the Complaint in Martins v. Romero (E.D. Mich.), filed Monday:
This is a defamation and false light action stemming from false and misleading statements published on the Jesus 911 podcast on the November 20th, November 27th, and December 4th, 2024 episodes. The Defendants intentionally or recklessly invited public critique and scrutiny over Plaintiff's title as an exorcist by repeatedly asserting that the Plaintiff is not an exorcist. The Defendants' statements have perpetuated a narrative that undermines the Plaintiff's credibility….
The Exorcist Files is a podcast co-created and co-hosted by Ryan Bethea and Fr. Martins…. Due to the popularity of the podcast, Fr. Martins published a book, also titled The Exorcist Files, where he provides a comprehensive view of the 2,000-year-old Catholic ministry of exorcism, examining spiritual dangers lurking in modern society, to help readers understand how to remain free from their influence and control….
Jesus 911 published an episode of the podcast titled "What Is the American Model of Exorcism?" …. In this episode, Romero and Clement continue their discussion from the November 20th Episode on exorcisms…. Romero praised Clement's position in Liber Christo and Clement's teachings at the Pope Leo XIII Institute, a private non-profit organization recognized for the "total education and training of priests in the holy ministry of exorcism and deliverance." Romero, on behalf of Clement, asserted that the field of exorcism is small and Clement knows, and has access to, every exorcist in every diocese worldwide. There are more than 3,000 dioceses worldwide. This characterization bolsters Clement's credibility as a set up for him to then criticize and undermine Fr. Martins' credibility and experience as an exorcist….
