Jesse Ventura: No regrets over suing widow of Navy SEAL

Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura said Wednesday his successful lawsuit against the estate of late Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle was about "the truth" and that he has no plans to reach out to Kyle's widow, who is the executor of the Kyle's estate, now that the trial is over.
"All I wanted to do was clear my name, and it has nothing to do with a widow or anything like that," Ventura said on "CBS This Morning" during his first post-trial interview.

The dispute revolves around the description of an alleged incident in Kyle's book, "American Sniper," in which the former SEAL claimed he punched Ventura in 2006 after the former governor said the SEALs "deserved to lose a few" in Iraq.

"I would have been a big-time loser had I not pursued the lawsuit, because ... the whole story was fabricated," Ventura said. "I was accused of treason, which in the military is the death penalty."

Before he was killed at a Texas gun range by a fellow veteran last year, Chris Kyle delivered testimony that the story was true. Taya Kyle, Kyle's widow, has also maintained through her legal team that she believes the story was true.

John Borger, an attorney for Kyle's estate, told The Associated Press that Taya was "surprised and upset" when she learned of the $1.8 million verdict against the estate. The lawsuit was filed before Kyle was killed.

Ventura has also said he is upset because he is a former Navy SEAL and Kyle's claim hit him personally.

"I can't go to a SEAL reunion anymore," Ventura said. "That was the one place that I always felt safe. I can't go there anymore. I would be looking over my shoulder now wondering who's going to come after me next. And so, don't think I come out of this unscathed."

Much of the criticism against Ventura has centered around the size of the verdict against Kyle's estate, which is providing for his widow and two children. Ventura said that criticism doesn't bother him.

"Taya Kyle had all of her attorney fees paid by insurance. I did not. I incurred two-and-a-half years of lawyer fees that I have to pay to clear my name, and she had insurance paying everything for her," Ventura said on "CBS This Morning." "It was me against an insurance company."

Ventura said he will use his winnings to pay his lawyers' fees.

When asked why he thought Kyle might have made up the tale of the punch-out, Ventura called it a "sea story."

"In the Navy it happens all the time," Ventura said. "One sailor lies to another sailor. That second sailor then tells the story three more times, and all of the sudden, the sea story becomes the truth. They were drunk. They were drinking heavily, and it was just a story that happened in another bar and erupted six years later."

The dispute over Kyle's book may not be over, either. Ventura said on "CBS This Morning" he plans to "visit" the book's publisher, HarperCollins.

"They published the book and did no due diligence to find out if the story was true," Ventura said.

Jesse Ventura may have "cleared" his name in this case but he created another name for himself.

His "Career" was on the Rocks way before that Book came out!



http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/07/29/jury-awards-ventura-1-8-in-defamation-case-against-deceased-american-sniper-chris-kyles-estate/

The interesting things are the Comments on the Article!

He's so full of himself but he doesn't realize what it is that he is full of.

Folks, Ventura didn't sue a widow. He sued her husband before he died.
If Ventura was falsely accused of wrongdoing, then he had every right to use the legal system to clear his name.

True, but he would have shown class if he had dropped the suit when the man died. He didn't.

BTW, his real name is James George Janos.

Ventura's reputation was wrongfully tarnished.
The only way that he could right the wrong was for his lawsuit to continue after the defendant died.

what reputation?
If he has any class, which I doubt, he would donate the monies to a charity or to wounded vets. He won't.
Or, he could feed the starving people in the Northern Hebei Province of China.

After he pays his attorneys, what money?

This money.

Not sure I agree with what Ventura did. Especially after C. Kyle's death. Why take $1.8 million away from his wife and kid? He already said he was just going to pay his lawyers with most of the money anyhow. People are going to believe what they want to regardless of some ruling.

Ventura already said he can never go back to a SEAL reunion because of fear. I know a retired SEAL and it would have probably been carried out already if it was going to happen. Those guys can take you out 500 different ways with a paper clip.

or with a 50 caliber sniper rifle

He started proceedings before the man died, but continued on after he died and sued the widow which many believe since the husband and War Hero is dead it should have been dropped.

Jesse is a broke nobody lunatic. That is why he went back to Vince McMahon begging for a job back recently. He shot his mouth off and got his a$$ kicked, plain and simple and he deserved it.

He doesn't have ANY class. He never has. He needs to go back to his house in Mexico where he said he surfs everyday and just stay there and get eaten by a Great White Shark.

His reputation was tarnished years ago, when he started al his nut job conspiracy theory's. Jesse has always been a lunatic, why do you think he got fired from the most successful Wrestling Entertainment Company in the world? He got his a$$ kicked, plain and simple.

obviously not or he would not have won the law suit

he has never sued the widow he sued the author of the book

the book does not stop being sold upon the authors death

thus the obvious slander continues

he sued the books proceeds thus the estate of the author

maybe if the widow would have pulled the book from publication
and from the shelves he would have dropped the case

Jesse was never a SEAL. He got in a bit of trouble over claiming he was. He was Underwater Demolition, which were not SEALS.