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Case 18-2868, Document 287, 08/09/2019, 2628251, Page2 of 76 Sweet, D.J. The defendant Ghislaine Maxwell (“Maxwell” or the “Maxwell”) has moved pursuant to Rule 56, Fed. R. Civ. P., for summary judgment dismissing the complaint of plaintiff Virginia L. Giuffre (“Giuffre” or the “Giuffre”) alleging defamation. Upon the facts and conclusions set forth below, the motion is denied. I. Prior Proceedings Since the filing of the complaint on September 21, 2015, setting forth Giuffre’s claim of defamation by Maxwell, this action has been vigorously litigated, as demonstrated by the 704 docket entries as of March 8, 2017. At issue is the truth or falsity of a January 2015 statement issued by Maxwell. Discovery has proceeded, a joint pretrial order has been filed, and the action is set for trial on May 15, 2017. The instant motion was heard and marked fully submitted on February 16, 2017.