BJJ black belt Derek Moneyberg has lost a legal battle against YouTuber Spencer Cornelia after a nearly five-year case ended in early 2026. The appeals court ruling marks a victory for content creators facing lawsuits from wealthy individuals seeking to silence criticism.
Derek Moneyberg’s legal gamble fails: court dismisses defamation suit against content creator Spencer Cornelia
Moneyberg, whose real name is Dale Buczkowski, filed the defamation lawsuit in June 2021 after Cornelia published videos examining his business practices. The case centered on interviews Cornelia conducted with John Anthony Lifestyle (real name John Mulvehill), a dating coach who discussed his personal experiences with Moneyberg. Cornelia herself did not make any defamatory statements during the videos, but instead acted as an interviewer.
The U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada granted summary judgment in Cornelia’s favor in September 2023, dismissing all claims. Moneyberg appealed the decision in October 2023, dragging the case through the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals for another two years. Oral arguments took place on December 9, 2025, and the appeals court ruled in late December 2025 or early January 2026.
The the court of appeal ruled in favor of Cornelia, dismissing claims of defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress and business contempt. The ruling also affirmed the dismissal of Lanham Act claims. The decision represents a complete victory on the merits of both courts and sets a binding precedent for federal district courts within the Ninth Circuit, which includes California, Nevada and Arizona.
Cornelia has accrued $435,000 in legal fees over the past five years. Although he won the case on summary judgment, the district court judge denied his anti-SLAPP (Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation) motion, despite recognizing that Cornelia did not act with actual malice or reckless disregard for the truth. Among Nevada’s anti-SLAPP law, a successful motion would have guaranteed Cornelia’s recovery of attorney fees plus a $10,000 award.
The Court of Appeal initially dismissed the anti-SLAPP issue as moot, as summary judgment had already been granted. Cornelia filed a petition for rehearing on January 8, 2026, arguing that dismissing the anti-SLAPP claim would deny poor and middle-class defendants access to justice against wealthy plaintiffs. The appeals court ordered Moneyberg to respond, indicating that the panel of judges may rule on the anti-SLAPP motion.
Moneyberg gained attention in the martial arts world in 2025 after receiving a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt from Jake Shields in less than four years, sparking controversy within the BJJ community. Most practitioners take 10 to 13 years to earn a black belt. The situation escalated when UFC fighter Sean Strickland publicly accused Moneyberg of exploiting low-paid fighters to promote financial schemes. Moneyberg announced in September 2025 that he had filed a defamation lawsuit against Strickland.
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