{"url":"https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-11-10/dibella-guillot-defamation-settlement","markdown_url":"https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-11-10/dibella-guillot-defamation-settlement.md","title":"Flying Squirrels Owner Lou DiBella Settles Defamation Suit","headline":"DiBella and Guillot Finalize Settlement in Defamation Case Over CarMax Park Opening Night","description":"Lou DiBella and Jason Guillot filed a proposed order to dismiss the defamation suit with prejudice, ending a dispute that began at CarMax Park's April 7 opener.","section":"Legal & Disputes","published_at":"2026-11-10T07:32:08+00:00","modified_at":"2026-11-10T07:32:08+00:00","author":"News Desk","key_takeaways":["Lou DiBella and Jason Guillot jointly filed a proposed order asking U.S. District Judge David Novak to dismiss the defamation case with prejudice.","The settlement includes a public joint statement clarifying that DiBella did not physically threaten Guillot or his family.","The dispute began during the Richmond Flying Squirrels' April 7 opener at CarMax Park and was scheduled for a jury trial in March.","A separate lawsuit by the Squirrels' ownership group, Navigators Baseball, against the City of Richmond and the EDA remains active in Richmond Circuit Court."],"companies":[{"name":"Richmond Flying Squirrels","is_primary":true,"profile_url":"https://akta.pro/company-profiles/000qiy7/richmond-flying-squirrels","website":"http://squirrelsbaseball.com"},{"name":"Thalhimer Realty Partners","is_primary":false,"profile_url":"https://akta.pro/company-profiles/000ebey/thalhimer-realty-partners","website":"http://www.thalhimerrealtypartners.com"}],"source":{"publisher":"Richmond BizSense","title":"Settlement finalized in defamation case between Flying Squirrels owner, Diamond District developer - Richmond BizSense","url":"https://richmondbizsense.com/2026/11/10/settlement-finalized-in-defamation-dispute-between-flying-squirrels-owner-diamond-district-developer/"},"other_sources":[],"tags":["Legal & Disputes","Richmond Flying Squirrels","Thalhimer Realty Partners"],"body_markdown":"Lou DiBella, owner of the Richmond Flying Squirrels, and Diamond District developer Jason Guillot finalized a settlement of their defamation lawsuit on November 10, filing a proposed order to dismiss the case with prejudice. [Richmond BizSense](https://richmondbizsense.com/2026/11/10/settlement-finalized-in-defamation-dispute-between-flying-squirrels-owner-diamond-district-developer/) first reported the filing.\n\nThe [Richmond Flying Squirrels](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/000qiy7/richmond-flying-squirrels) are a Minor League Baseball franchise and the Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants, playing at CarMax Park in Richmond, Virginia.\n\n## The Joint Filing Before Judge Novak\n\nThe proposed order was submitted to U.S. District Judge David Novak and asks that the case be dismissed with prejudice, meaning it could not be brought again in Richmond federal court. The order notes that the court would retain jurisdiction to enforce the terms of the final settlement agreement, which the parties have agreed to keep confidential.\n\nThe settlement includes a joint statement that has been made public. DiBella and Guillot say they \"regret the opening night incident and the dispute that followed,\" referring to the heated exchange during the Squirrels' first game at CarMax Park that led to DiBella suing Guillot for defamation in May.\n\nThe statement adds: \"The parties want to take this opportunity to clarify that Mr. DiBella did not physically threaten Mr. Guillot or his family. To the extent Mr. Guillot perceived any threat, it was a threat of litigation.\" It concludes that the parties \"have agreed to amicably resolve the pending litigation in federal court so that everyone can focus on their respective businesses.\"\n\nDiBella filed the suit against Guillot and [Thalhimer Realty Partners](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/000ebey/thalhimer-realty-partners), the local firm Guillot works for that is leading the mixed-use Diamond District development beside CarMax Park. DiBella claimed Guillot defamed him by allegedly telling Angie Rodgers, director of the Richmond Economic Development Authority, that DiBella threatened to kill Guillot and his family if Guillot did not agree to sell him a piece of land beside the ballpark's main entrance.\n\nGuillot and Thalhimer's response included a signed declaration from Rodgers that she never said to DiBella that Guillot had told her that DiBella threatened to kill him. DiBella later amended his suit two times, removing \"kill\" from certain sections. The lawsuit sought unspecified \"tens of millions of dollars\" in damages and was scheduled for a jury trial in March.\n\n## CarMax Park and the Squirrels' Scale\n\nAccording to akta.pro [company records](https://akta.pro/company-data), the Flying Squirrels were founded in 2010, are headquartered in Richmond, and generate revenue through tickets, merchandise, suites, concessions, and themed special events. The same records list a revenue estimate of $10 million-$25 million and a valuation estimate of $50 million-$100 million.\n\nThe records also note that CarMax is the naming sponsor of CarMax Park, with prominent branding throughout the stadium and direct links to carmaxpark.com from the team website.\n\n## Earlier Events in the Dispute\n\nOn October 1, 2026, the City of Richmond and its EDA filed responses to a lawsuit by the Flying Squirrels owners over the Diamond District project, arguing the suit lacks pre-suit notice and fails to state claims, Richmond BizSense reported.\n\nOn September 18, 2026, the Squirrels were eliminated from the Eastern League playoffs with a 5-3 loss to the Erie SeaWolves on September 17, 2026, according to WRIC. The franchise set a record attendance of 468,961 in its inaugural year, averaging 7,105 fans per game.\n\nOn October 13, 2026, the Squirrels were named the 2026 Minor League Baseball Organization of the Year at the MiLB Business Summit, beating 119 other clubs, WRIC reported.\n\n## The Navigators Suit Against the City\n\nA separate lawsuit from the Squirrels' ownership group, Navigators Baseball, against the City of Richmond and EDA remains active in Richmond Circuit Court. In that suit, DiBella and the Navigators claim fraud, alleging that the group was induced to invest tens of millions of dollars above their original commitments to develop CarMax Park based on representations the city and EDA made about the Diamond District and their selected developer.\n","publisher":{"name":"News for Agent","url":"https://newsforagent.com"}}