Nik Richie Explained

Nik Richie
Other Names:
  • Corbin Grimes[1]
  • Nik Lamas-Richie
Birth Date:12 February 1979
Birth Name:Hooman Abedi Karamian
Birth Place:Hackensack, New Jersey, U.S.
Occupation:Internet personality
Known For:Gossip website TheDirty.com; reality TV appearances
Years Active:2007–2018
Spouse:
    Children:2

    Nik Lamas-Richie is an American Internet personality most prominent in the late 2000s and 2010s. Richie is best known as the founder of controversial[2] gossip website TheDirty.com.

    Early life

    Richie was born in Hackensack, New Jersey as Hooman Abedi Karamian.[3] Prior to his Internet career, he worked as a credit card processor.[4]

    Internet career

    Richie founded the gossip website TheDirty.com in March 2007 as DirtyScottsdale.com while living in Scottsdale, Arizona.[5] The content on Dirtyscottsdale.com initially focused on derision of Scottsdale's club scene.

    Ben Quayle wrote for DirtyScottsdale.com[6] [7]

    Co-founded by Ari Golden,[8] the later and more widely known version, TheDirty.com, allows users to anonymously upload their own "dirt" including news, gossip, accusations, photos, videos, or text, and comment on posts submitted by others.[9]

    Richie operated TheDirty.com anonymously until September 4, 2008, when he was arrested for DUI and reckless driving in Scottsdale.[10] Once news of his arrest surfaced, Richie publicly admitted his real identity.[11]

    In a March 2019 Instagram post, Richie stated he was no longer associated with TheDirty.com, having 'retired' from the site in April 2018.[12]

    Career

    In 2024, Nik Richie was an actor in the movie Cash Out.[13]

    Lawsuits

    See also: Jones v. Dirty World Entertainment Recordings LLC.

    "A lawyer for Dirty World LLC, David Gingras, says he represents Dirty World LLC, which operates Thedirty.com. ... He says the company named, Dirty World Entertainment Recordings, does not own or have a relationship with the website."[14]

    In May 2010, Richie published web posts:

    "to retaliate against Kristen Creighton of La Porte, Texas, who won a $1.5 million judgment in October against Richie and his company, Dirty World."[15] [16] [17]

    In 2011, Memphis, Tennessee, TV reporter Lauren Lee's lawsuit demanded that posts be permanently removed and $50 million.[18]

    In a heavily publicized case, Sarah Jones v. Dirty World Entertainment Recordings, LLC, a federal court in Kentucky initially found that Richie was not entitled to CDA immunity in a case arising from several posts about Kentucky high school teacher and part-time cheerleader Sarah Jones.[19] The jury awarded Jones $338,000 in compensatory and punitive damages.[20] However, Richie filed a successful appeal before the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, which in June 2014 ordered the judgment vacated and dismissed.[21]

    Richie has been the defendant in several lawsuits relating to material posted on TheDirty.com. Richie has argued that he is protected from liability by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, like other operators of blogs and websites that allow third party users to submit content.

    Donald Trump

    In 2011, thedirty.com published an uncorroborated article claiming Stormy Daniels and Donald Trump had a sexual encounter at a golfing event, and Life & Style Weekly, a supermarket tabloid, printed the story.[22] [23] Stormy Daniels interviewed with Bauer Publishing, the parent company of Life & Style Weekly and In Touch Weekly magazines.[24] [25]

    Media appearances

    In November 2010, Nik Richie, with his wife, Shayne Lamas,[26] appeared on an episode of Dr. Phil devoted to the subject of online bullying and gossip entitled "Dirt, Lies and the Internet.".[27] [28] Phil McGraw questioned Richie about the morality of a website which allows users to openly bash each other with hurtful and profane comments, to which Richie responded that there is a marketplace for such a website. McGraw replied, "Well, there's a marketplace for heroin too, but that doesn't justify being a heroin addict."

    In November 2011, Richie was interviewed by talk show host Anderson Cooper in an episode during which he was confronted by Sarah Jones, the former Cincinnati Bengals cheerleader and high school teacher who, at the time, was suing Richie for defamation.[29] Richie was featured in a second interview with Anderson Cooper which aired in January 2012.[30]

    In June 2011, ABC News program 20/20 aired a segment about Richie and his legal battle with Sarah Jones.[31] [32]

    In late 2012, Richie and his then-wife Shayne Lamas appeared on Season 2 of VH1 reality show Couples Therapy along with several other couples.[33] In the season's final episode, Richie and Lamas renewed their wedding vows in a televised ceremony.[34] Richie and Lamas appeared together in a Couples Therapy reunion episode which aired in 2014.[35]

    In May 2013, Richie released a memoir, Sex, Lies and The Dirty.[36]

    Personal life

    Richie's first marriage, to Amanda Toney, took place in 2005 and ended in 2009.[37]

    Richie's second marriage was to actress and reality TV personality Shayne Lamas.[38] [39] The pair met during a vacation to Las Vegas and were married on April 18, 2010 at the Little White Wedding Chapel[40] eight hours after they first met.[41] They had two children: daughter Press, born November 11, 2011,[42] and son Lyon, born via surrogate on July 4, 2015.[43] They divorced in 2021.[44]

    Richie was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2015.[45]

    See also

    External links

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: "Nik Richie," of Dirty Shame, Sued...Again .
    2. Web site: Devji . Shaheed . Gossip blog TheDirty.com under fire for nasty comments . CTV News . 26 May 2020.
    3. Web site: Shayne Lamas' Hubby--Taking Wife's Last Name. www.tmz.com . July 11, 2010 . 1 December 2023.
    4. Web site: Outhier . Craig . The Terrifying Ten . phoenixmag.com . October 2014 . 8 April 2020.
    5. https://web.archive.org/web/20180328102723/http://vegasseven.com/2010/07/01/nik-richie/ VegasSeven.com Interview with Nik Richie, July 1, 2010
    6. https://www.politico.com/story/2010/08/quayle-linked-site-in-libel-suit-041505
    7. https://www.politico.com/story/2010/08/quayle-denies-link-to-scottsdale-site-040893
    8. Web site: 2011-12-04 . Gossip blog TheDirty.com under fire for nasty comments . 2024-06-04 . British Columbia . en.
    9. Web site: Goldman . Eric . Should TheDirty Website Be Liable For Encouraging Users To Gossip? . forbes.com . 26 May 2020.
    10. Web site: 'Dirty' Web site owner posts own record - UPI.com . 2024-06-04 . UPI . en.
    11. Web site: Man behind thedirty.com gets DUI, sheds anonymity . azcentral.com . 26 May 2020.
    12. https://www.instagram.com/p/BumjXwXBWkY/ Nik Richie
    13. Web site: Grant . Shawn . 2024-03-27 . Nik Richie Makes Hollywood Debut Alongside A-Listers in "Cash Out" - The Source . 2024-06-04 . en-US.
    14. Web site: Brantley . Max . 2015-01-23 . Judge gives $1.25 million award over defamatory comments on Thedirty.com . 2024-06-04 . Arkansas Times . en-US.
    15. Web site: 2010-05-21 . Nik Richie Sued Again By Texas Woman, Removes Most Retaliatory Posts About Her From TheDirty.Com - Phoenix News - Valley Fever . 2024-06-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100521043639/https://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/2010/05/nik_richie_sued_again_by_texas.php . May 21, 2010 .
    16. Web site: 2010-05-11 . Nik Richie Claims TheDirty.Com Pulls In $130,000 a Month; Owes $1.5 Million After Default Judgment - Phoenix News - Valley Fever . 2024-06-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100511091817/http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/2010/05/nik_richie_claims_thedirtycom.php . May 11, 2010 .
    17. Web site: 2010-05-27 . Nik Richie Strikes Back at Texas Woman Who Won Lawsuit; Vows to Make Her "The Face of Herpes" - Phoenix News - Valley Fever . 2024-06-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100527080437/http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/2010/05/nik_richie_strikes_back_at_tex.php . May 27, 2010 .
    18. Web site: 2020-08-07 . "Nik Richie," of Dirty Shame, Sued...Again Phoenix New Times . 2024-06-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200807091159/https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/nik-richie-of-dirty-shame-suedagain-6630473 . August 7, 2020 .
    19. News: Former Bengals cheerleader awarded $338,000 in defamation lawsuit . USA Today . Jim . Hannah . July 11, 2013.
    20. Web site: Osborne . Kevin . Jury rules in favor of ex-Bengals cheerleader Sarah Jones in defamation case . https://web.archive.org/web/20130806071732/http://www.wcpo.com/dpp/news/local_news/Ex-Bengals-cheerleader-Sarah-Jones-Jury-starts-deliberations-in-defamation-case . dead . 6 August 2013 . wcpo.com . Scripps Media . 14 April 2020.
    21. Web site: Greenwald . Judy . Ex-cheerleader's $380K award against 'dirty' website overturned by court. businessinsurance.com . Business Insurance Holdings . June 17, 2014 . 1 December 2023.
    22. Web site: Corn . David . The full Stormy hush-money tale shows plenty of witnesses who could be trouble for Trump . 2024-06-04 . Mother Jones . en-US.
    23. Web site: 2024-05-07 . Who is Stormy Daniels, the adult film actress who is testifying in Trump's hush money criminal trial? . 2024-06-04 . Yahoo News . en-MY.
    24. Web site: Knaut . Gretchen . 2023-05-24 . Detailed Timeline of Trump Hush Money-2016 Election Investigation . 2024-06-04 . Just Security . en-US.
    25. Web site: 2023-03-30 . Detailed Chronology in Trump-Cohen Hush Money Investigation Portside . 2024-06-04 . portside.org . en.
    26. https://www.jezebel.com/the-man-behind-thedirty-com-is-just-as-awful-in-person-5687873
    27. Web site: Dirt, Lies, and the Internet . drphil.com . 14 April 2020.
    28. Web site: Nik Richie of TheDirty On Dr. Phil Show . 2012-07-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130226093132/http://stupidcelebrities.net/2010/11/nik-richie-of-the-dirty-on-dr-phil-show/ . 2013-02-26 . dead .
    29. Web site: Bengals Cheerleader Confronts Website Owner for Defamation of Character . 2014-03-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120806045012/http://www.andersoncooper.com/2011/11/09/sarah-jones-nik-richie-bengals-cheerleader-confronts-website-owner-for-defamation-of-character/ . 2012-08-06 . dead .
    30. Web site: Cooper . Anderson . Anderson to Nik Richie: 'I Just Don't Get You' . https://web.archive.org/web/20120419141718/http://www.andersoncooper.com/2012/01/03/nik-richie . dead . 2012-04-19 . andersoncooper.com.
    31. Web site: Kiesewetter . John . Ben-Gal Sarah Jones On 20/20 Tonight . https://web.archive.org/web/20110628204824/http://cincinnati.com/blogs/tv/2011/06/24/ben-gal-sarah-jones-on-2020-tonight/ . dead . 28 June 2011 . cincinnati.com . Gannett . 26 May 2020.
    32. Web site: Brenner . Richard . Mullen . Beth . Cincinnati Bengals Cheerleader Sarah Jones Fights Dirty Online Sex Rumors . abcnews.go.com . ABC News . 14 April 2020.
    33. Web site: Former 'Housewives of NYC' stars headed to 'Couple's Therapy' . HollywoodNews.com . Hollywood News Network.
    34. Web site: 2016-03-04 . Dream Wedding - Video Clip from Couples Therapy With Dr. Jenn S2, E10 VH1 . 2024-06-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304141858/http://www.vh1.com/video-clips/4tvxt6/couples-therapy-with-dr-jenn-dream-wedding . March 4, 2016 .
    35. Web site: 2014-09-03 . Couples Therapy with Dr. Jenn Reunion (TV Series) VH1 . 2024-06-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140903042816/http://www.vh1.com/shows/couples-therapy-with-dr-jenn-reunion/ . September 3, 2014 .
    36. Web site: Lindsay Lohan Coke Story Revealed In New Gossip Book: 'Sex, Lies & The Dirty' . Huffington Post . April 25, 2013 . 26 May 2020.
    37. Web site: Lemons . Stephen . Nik Richie, aka, Hooman Karamian Served with Divorce Papers by Wife Amanda Toney . www.phoenixnewtimes.com . Phoenix New Times . 15 March 2020.
    38. Web site: 2010-04-25 . Nik Richie's "Wife," Shayne Lamas, Admits She's Not In Love With Him; That Kinda Talk Could Get Someone's Mug on The Dirty - Phoenix News - Valley Fever . 2024-06-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100425005554/http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/2010/04/nik_richies_wife_shayne_lamas.php . April 25, 2010 .
    39. Web site: 2010-05-11 . Nik Richie Claims TheDirty.Com Pulls In $130,000 a Month; Owes $1.5 Million After Default Judgment - Phoenix News - Valley Fever . 2024-06-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100511091817/http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/2010/05/nik_richie_claims_thedirtycom.php . May 11, 2010 .
    40. Web site: 'Bachelor' Winner -- Elopes in Vegas . tmz.com . April 19, 2010 . EHM Productions, Inc..
    41. Web site: Everett . Cristina . Shayne Lamas elopes with Nik Richie one day after meeting him in Las Vegas . nydailynews.com . April 19, 2010 . New York Daily News . 26 May 2020.
    42. Web site: Finn . Natalie . Mulick . Marcus . Shayne Lamas Births 11-11-11 Baby! . eonline.com . November 11, 2011 . E! Entertainment Television . 26 May 2020.
    43. Web site: King . Brittany . Shayne Lamas and Husband Nik Richie Welcome Baby Boy Via Surrogate . hollywoodlife.com . Penske Business Media, LLC . 26 May 2020.
    44. Web site: Boucher . Ashley . Shayne Lamas Announces She and Nik Richie Are Divorcing After 11 Years of Marriage . People . Dotdash Meredith . 1 December 2023.
    45. Web site: Knibbs . Kate . Cleaning up The Dirty . The Ringer . April 19, 2017 . SB Nation . 14 April 2020.

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