A judge on Thursday temporarily delayed President Donald Trump’s deadline to turn over financial records in his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC, the latest development in the high-profile media litigation over the “Panorama” documentary about the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
The ruling pauses a previous court order requiring Trump to disclose financial information sought by the BBC while the court considers his request to amend the lawsuit.
The broadcaster argued the records were relevant because Trump originally claimed the documentary harmed his businesses and brands, forming the basis for his multibillion-dollar damages demand. But Trump’s lawyers now want to narrow the case, dropping those business-related claims in favor of seeking damages solely for alleged reputational harm.
Trump’s attorneys argued that producing the records before the court rules on the proposed amendment would cause “irreparable harm.” The judge agreed to temporarily stay the disclosure requirement while the amendment request is pending.
The BBC opposed the delay, calling it “a transparent effort to evade this court’s clear and direct order” and arguing Trump has spent months resisting discovery while pursuing the lawsuit.
Trump sued the public broadcaster in Florida over “Panorama.” He claimed the documentary edited together two portions of a speech delivered before the Jan. 6 attack. The president alleges the edit falsely suggested he directly encouraged violence.
The BBC has acknowledged an editing error and apologized for creating what it called “the mistaken impression that President Trump had made a direct call for violent action.” However, the broadcaster has asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing the documentary does not meet the legal standard for defamation and was never distributed on its U.S. platforms.
The case has narrowed in recent weeks. Trump’s legal team acknowledged it has no evidence the documentary was available in the United States through BritBox, BBC.com, BBC Select or U.S. broadcasters, despite earlier allegations in the complaint. Trump also agreed to dismiss BBC Studios, the broadcaster’s commercial arm, from the lawsuit after the company argued it played no role in producing the documentary.
The court has not yet ruled on Trump’s request to amend the complaint.
