Kiely disappeared from a party in California in August 2022. Later that same month, her body and car were found. The Coroners Division of the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office ruled that her death was an accident by drowning.
Officials said the decision was based on the pathologist’s report. They also said there was no evidence showing that another person had killed her.
After Kiely’s body was found, Upchurch first posted videos offering condolences to her family. He then released more videos claiming a ‘fake police department’ had staged her existence and death.
He also claimed Kiely and her family were ‘not real’. In the same line of false claims, he alleged they had been created as part of a ‘scam’ to collect GoFundMe donations.
Why the lawsuit focused on false claims
The case became about more than online speculation. It centered on what can happen when a large online platform is used to repeat serious claims about a grieving family without proof.
Defamation cases often look at whether a person made false statements that harmed someone’s reputation or caused damage. In this court case, Kiely’s father and grandfather said Upchurch’s videos caused reputational injury, financial losses, and emotional distress.
The verdict also fits into a wider pattern of online true-crime content drawing legal scrutiny when creators turn real deaths into theories about families or victims. Similar family tragedy cases, including Adrianna Hutto’s death and the trial that followed, show how long these stories can affect the people left behind.
Kiely’s father, Daniel Rodni, and grandfather, David Robertson, sued Upchurch for ‘reputational injury, financial losses, and emotional distress’. On Monday (18 May), a jury ruled in their favor and ordered the YouTuber to pay $17.5 million to the plaintiffs.
Of that total, $11 million will go to Kiely’s grandfather, Robertson. The remaining $6.5 million will be paid to her father, Rodni.
“Now, the family can finally move forward in peace and focus on what matters most — honouring the memory of Kiely Rodni.”
The family’s statement framed the verdict as a step toward peace after years of public claims about Kiely’s death. It also made clear that the case was not only about money, but about the harm caused by false stories spreading online.
Tia Bailiff said on behalf of the YouTuber: “The freedom of speech is one of the most fundamental rights that is necessary for every free society, and that right is one that needs protecting now more than ever.”
“While Mr. Upchurch is a staunch advocate for the United States Constitution and the rights that so many veterans fought and died for, Mr. Upchurch can be that advocate and also feel sympathy for a family in their time of grief.”
“Mr. Upchurch asks that the family be given respect and time to grieve and move forward with their lives, and would ask that the family be allowed to heal in peace.”
The statement tried to balance Upchurch’s position on free speech with sympathy for Kiely’s family. The jury’s decision, however, showed that the false claims in the videos carried serious legal consequences.
