John Oliver Sued for Defamation by Healthcare Exec Over Blistering Medicaid Rant

Screengrab via HBO

Comedian John Oliver has been sued by a health insurance executive who claims the Last Week Tonight host twisted his words and tanked his reputation.

Dr. Brian Morley — a former medical director at AmeriHealth Caritas — filed the federal lawsuit Friday, accusing Oliver and his HBO team of “knowingly and falsely” portraying him as someone who thinks “it’s OK if people have shit on them for days.” That’s how Oliver reportedly characterized Morley’s 2017 testimony on in-home nursing care for disabled Medicaid recipients — but the doctor says the comedian wildly misrepresented what he actually said.

“Fuck that doctor with a rusty canoe,” Oliver declared on the episode, which aired in April 2024. “I hope he gets tetanus of the balls.”

Now Morley says that one-liner came at the cost of his “reputation and personal well-being.” The lawsuit insists Morley never endorsed leaving anyone, especially immobile or diapered patients, in their own waste — and that Oliver conflated two entirely different cases in his brutal takedown.

Morley claims his actual testimony referred to “average individuals” who may not wipe perfectly but are still mobile. He was explaining the nuances of care, not advocating neglect, his lawyers argued in a filing seen exclusively by The Independent.

During the segment, Oliver condemned what he described as a “nearly 900 percent increase” in care denials. But Morley’s legal team says the show’s producers ignored the real context to manufacture a viral moment.

Morley is demanding a full retraction, removal of the episode from all platforms, and damages to be decided by a jury.

Watch the clip in question via YouTube here.