Tanya Zuckerbrot sues Emily Gellis in new defamation suit

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New York Influencers Emily Gellis and Tanya Zuckerbrot are at war again.

Zuckerbrot is suing Gellis for more than $250,000 for defamation, according to a new court filing seen by Page Six.

Gellis has long accused the dietician of making her devoted followers sick, prompting Zuckerbrot to apologize to her customers.

While, in turn, Zuckerbrot alleged that Gellis tried to destroy her fitness company by harassing her with a campaign of lies about her business on Instagram, according to a 2020 New York Supreme Court lawsuit. The first defamation lawsuit — over which Gellis filed a countersuit — is still pending.

Now, Zuckerbrot — whose “eat carbs … work out less” program boasts celebrity fans such as Megyn Kelly — is suing Gellis a second time.

Emily Gellis seen out in NYC in 2011
Gellis, seen here in 2011, has been fighting with Zuckerbrot for years.
Fernando Leon

In a new court filing, seen by Page Six, Zuckerbrot alleges: “Gellis’s social media misconduct has caused Zuckerbrot to suffer reputational damage and devastating emotional distress. Zuckerbrot fears for her safety and the safety of her family based on Gellis’s unhinged, malicious, and harassing Instagram posts.”

Zuckerbrot’s current lawsuit, filed in New York Supreme Court on March 3, also alleges that claims made by Gellis online — including that Zuckerbrot and her supporters were targeting her and her unborn baby daughter while she was heavily pregnant — are false.

In September 2021, Gellis said on Instagram that Zuckerbrot “is behind the hate accounts that bully me relentlessly.”

Zuckerbot asserts in her lawsuit that this statement was untrue, writing, “Gellis is accusing Zuckerbrot of paying people to go after Gellis, a criminal activity, thus it is a false and defamatory statement.”

Tanya Zuckerbrot wears jeans while visiting Sirius Studios in 2019
Zuckerbrot is suing Gellis for at least $250,000.
Nicholas Hunt

The court filing also adds that in April 2021, “Gellis falsely accused Zuckerbrot of an excessive drinking habit, and posted a video to her Instagram Story, which said ‘[g]et a grip. Go chug the wine. I know you hit the bottle live.’ In fact, Zuckerbrot does not have an excessive drinking problem. Accordingly, this is a false and defamatory statement.”

According to court papers, Gellis defamed Zuckerbot in a separate instance in April when “Gellis falsely accused Zuckerbrot of bullying Gellis’ unborn baby, and an eight-month pregnant woman. Specifically, Gellis posted on her Instagram Story, ‘Hi Tanya- I know you don’t want articles running about how you bully an 8 month pregnant woman. No amount of $$$$$ will EVER suffice to clear your name from bullying a f—ing baby. So this is my last warning- back the f—k off of me. You want a f—ing war with me – keep my f—ing family out of it.’ There is no evidence that Zuckerbrot bullied Gellis’ unborn baby, nor Gellis while she was pregnant. Nor is there evidence that Zuckerbrot wants a ‘war’ with Gellis. Accordingly, this is a false and defamatory statement.”

Tanya Zuckerbrot in a dress at a Hamptons bash in 2018
Zuckerbrot’s lawyer told Page Six, “We look forward to proving that Ms. Gellis is nothing more than a pathological liar who fabricates claims against Ms. Zuckerbrot for her own personal gain.”
Eugene Gologursky

It continued that again in April: “Gellis posted a sonogram photo to her Instagram story, and stated ‘Tanya do you feel good about yourself at night? Bullying this baby? That make you feel good? You must feel great.’ There is no evidence that Zuckerbrot bullied Gellis’ unborn baby. Accordingly, this is a false and defamatory statement.”

Gellis declined to comment to Page Six, but she broke down in tears as she spoke out about the new filing Friday.

She told her 182,000 Instagram followers: “After almost 2 years they still do not understand that they will not intimidate me.

“How many lawsuits do you think she will file against me in an attempt to get me to disappear?

“The first one wasn’t enough, let’s do MORE. Happy Friday…I’ll spare you the 54 page complaint, but she would like an additional $250,000.”

Zuckerbrot’s lawyer Steven Harfenist told Page Six: “We have filed this second action against Ms. Gellis for continuing to make false defamatory statements against Ms. Zuckerbrot. Unlike the first action, the claims in this case are unrelated to Ms. Zuckerbrot’s business but rather directed to her character and personal life.

“These false personal attacks, made through social media, cannot be left without a legal response. To do so would be to condone the use of social media as a tool to cause harm to others by spewing lies and false comments into the internet. We look forward to proving that Ms. Gellis is nothing more than a pathological liar who fabricates claims against Ms. Zuckerbrot for her own personal gain.”

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