A judge has put a hold on former Rep. Katie Hill’s revenge porn case against Hill’s former husband until the onetime politician is done with bankruptcy proceedings.
Hill sued her former spouse, Kenneth Heslep, and multiple media groups, in Los Angeles Superior Court in December 2020, alleging nude photos of her were published without her permission. Heslep is the only remaining defendant.
On Wednesday, July 21, Judge Serena R. Murillo put a stay on the case in light of the bankruptcy case and scheduled a status conference for Dec. 21. Although no one showed up on either side for the Wednesday hearing, the judge ordered that Anthony Friedman, an attorney for Hill, prepare a status report at least three days before the December session. Another Hill lawyer, Carrie Goldberg, says in a sworn declaration that her client filed for bankruptcy in June 2022. The bankruptcy trustee is the only person authorized to pursue Hill’s claim against Heslep because the remaining claims belong to the debtor and are subject solely to the trustee’s administration, Goldberg says.
The media defendants were previously dismissed on free-speech grounds, and Hill was subsequently assessed thousands of dollars in attorneys’ fees. Hill submitted a lengthy sworn declaration in opposition to one of the media defendants’ dismissal motion.
“My nude body is not a matter of public interest,” Hill said. “Moreover, even if my alleged relationship was a matter of public interest, that does not justify the illegal worldwide dissemination of my nude image. I was humiliated and traumatized by the circulation of the nude image.”
Hill alleged in her court papers that she lived in fear that if she ever tried to leave, Heslep would kill them both as well as their animals. She “suffered extreme emotional distress, attempted suicide and was forced to quit her job, which in this case was the representative of California’s 25th Congressional District, one of the most difficult-to-get jobs in the universe,” her court papers state.
Hill, 35, and Heslep officially divorced in October 2020. Hill, a Democrat, resigned in 2019 after the nude photos were published and news emerged that she had a three-way relationship with her husband and a campaign staffer. She was also accused of having an affair with a member of her congressional staff.
Hill publicly blamed her then-husband for the release of the photos. Speaking in Congress in 2019, she decried a “misogynistic culture that gleefully consumed my naked pictures, capitalized on my sexuality and enabled my abusive ex to continue that abuse, this time with the entire country watching.”
The 25th Congressional District includes portions of the Antelope Valley. The seat had long been held by Republicans until Hill’s 2018 victory over then-Rep. Steve Knight (R-Palmdale). The seat is now held by Republican Mike Garcia.
Previous related stories:
Judge poised to order Katie Hill to pay more attorneys’ fees
Judge dismisses claims against Daily Mail in Katie Hill case
Former Congresswoman Katie Hill takes legal action over nude photo release
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Tom says
Why even waist our time with her story. She broke the rules got caught and is now mad. Crap she doesn’t even live in California anymore.
Horace Greeley says
what rules?
honestly, not certain that rules were broken…
being dumb is a common mistake people make, but most of the time there are no rules preventing such error.
just look at President #45 in US history. A system of elections, many states and locales, and an entire swathe of the voting population made a series of mistakes, adding up to tragedy, but broke no rules.
we should allow or hope that mistakes are not made, but, as I said before, people are sometimes pretty dumb
Tim Scott says
Because it is a good cautionary tale about how the local Republican Club works. Republican political strategy does not revolve around having ideas or ability to govern, it revolves around “go track down her ex and see if he can sell us some dirty pictures.” It is important that future Democratic party candidates be reminded of what they are up against here.
JPB says
Tim Scott is so right. Remember how Wrecks trashed Ken Mann about alleged charged until Ken sold his soul to him? Wrecks also trashed Jonathan Ervin, calling an American Veteran a ‘gang candidate’. He built a phony case against Raymond Lee Jennings which cost Jennings 11 years of his life in prison time. Wrecks and the Lancaster Political Machine ran Randy Floyd out of town with charges of child porn, which were never proven or prosecuted, making headlines in the paper.
Be very careful if you run for anything in the AV. The Machine will eat you up and spit you out. Unless they own you.
RayLee says
That’s standard operating procedure for the Lancaster cabal.
Brett Hav-A-Gnaw, SCROTUS says
In the absence of substantial, meaningful legislative initiative, the political wheels turn on turpitude.
Both Republicans and Democrats find vicious behaviors of their opponents and magnify them.
Trump grabbed pzzy. Had relations in a dressing room.
Katie had too many partners she found out she could not trust with intimacy.
Larry Craig (R) from Idaho went lookin’ for love in MSP Int’l Airport – one of the ‘wrong places’.
Jack Smith says
Hey, Tom
Trump broke the rules. What do you say about that?
Iconoclast says
The story of Katie is tragic. She could have run for Feinstein’s seat after serving 3 terms in the House. She would have been a strong candidate and then in 2028, a presidential year, who knows? It is really sad.
DP says
I wish you the best Katie Hill, voted for you then and I’d vote for you again. Don’t know what’s up with Woody below. Typical critic (republican) Bash others for their misdeeds while having a closet full of their own and worse.
Dr.Woo says
That’s the best definition of all republicans.
Frank Rizzo says
She was a true Democrat.
DP says
I wish you the best Katie Hill, voted for you then and I’d vote for you again. Don’t know what’s up with Woody up top. Typical critic (republican) Bash others for their misdeeds while having a closet full of their own and worse.
Ken Wood says
Typical amoral democrat
What's in a name? says
Is Ken Wood ignorant of Trump?
Sound like it. Either that or he’s in love with Trump.