A TikTok influencer has filed a defamation suit against the president of the Malaysia Hindu Sangam over a video allegedly linking her flower bath services to fraudulent practices.
The plaintiff, Olivia Lopez Bennet Lopez, 45, better known as Ibu Olivia Lopez, initiated the legal action at the Shah Alam Sessions Court in March through Messrs Asheeq Ali & Co, naming T Ganesan as the defendant.
According to the statement of claim, the plaintiff, who offers flower bath services, alleged that the defendant published a Facebook Reel in August last year containing defamatory remarks about her business.
She claimed the video directly referred to her by displaying her image while accusing her services of being deceptive, unethical and profit-driven.
The video was not only uploaded on the defendant’s personal Facebook account but was also shared on the official page of the association, which has around 40,000 followers.
The plaintiff stated that the video on the defendant’s personal account received 52 likes, 11 comments and 25 shares, while the version on the association’s page recorded about 8,300 views, 62 likes, three comments and eight shares.
With approximately 227,600 followers on TikTok under the handle ‘Jai Hanumat’ (@ibuoliviealopez), she further alleged that the statements portrayed her as dishonest and untrustworthy, misleading the public.
She also said her reputation and business had suffered significantly, citing loss of clients and business partners, declining income, and exposure to online harassment.
The plaintiff is seeking a public apology, removal of the alleged defamatory content, and compensation including general, aggravated and exemplary damages, as well as legal costs and other relief deemed appropriate by the court.
She added that a letter of demand had been issued to the defendant on 17 September last year, but claimed the statements remained online and were not retracted.
The case has been fixed for case management on 10 April before Sessions Court judge Zuhrina Mohamed Nor via e-review.
