Navy veteran doesn't forgive CNN reporter after winning defamation trial: He's proud of his 'hit piece' on me
PANAMA CITY, Fla.- U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young, the plaintiff who defeated CNN in a dramatic defamation trial last week, says he doesn't forgive the journalists behind the "hit piece" on him, especially CNN correspondent Alex Marquardt.
"I don't have any reason to forgive them. They haven't apologized," Young told Fox News Digital in an interview on Friday. "In fact, we've given Mr. Marquardt, you know, plenty of opportunities during deposition and then again at trial to apologize. And, you know, the answer was no. He still stands behind his work. He's very proud of what he did. His hit piece on me to destroy my life."
"He's not my biggest fan," Young added.
On the witness stand last week, Marquardt insisted his report was not a "hit piece" on Young.
"I wasn't looking to take anyone down. I didn't take anyone down," Marquardt testified at the time.
Marquardt said he was "proud" of the report that aired Nov. 2021 and stood by his work. Days after his testimony, however, a six-person jury ruled that Marquardt's report defamed Young and the network made a settlement with the Navy veteran as the jury was set to deliberate on punitive damages.
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Young was struck by the unapologetic tone CNN maintained throughout the trial despite the network's on-air apology in March 2022. Several CNN staffers expressed their own opposition to the apology when they took the witness stand.
He cited comments made by CNN's corporate representative Adam Levine, who called the apology a "legal decision" and admitted he himself also opposed the on-air mea culpa.
"It wasn't a sincere apology when they made it. That was a decision that their lawyers made to try to mitigate the exposure to punitive damages in this lawsuit, which I think they saw from the very beginning, they knew what the impact could be," Young said. "It was a legal decision, but it definitely wasn't sincere. But I understand why they did it."
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Young's lead counsel Vel Freedman reveled in the unapologetic posture CNN staffers maintained throughout the trial despite the damning evidence against the network, telling Fox News Digital "the jury was seeing right through it."
"Had they gone up there and owned what they did and been sorry about it, I think the jury may not have awarded punitive damages," Freedman said. "But when they got up there, and they were unrepentant, it just echoed with my statements to the jury that said ‘Stop them!’ right? Each one of them said they'd do it again. They need to be deterred."
Following the years-long legal battle with CNN, Young tells Fox News Digital he doesn't have "any animosity" towards the network.
"I think that this was a good outcome for both of us," Young said. "I'm able to get on with my life now, and I hadn't been able to even imagine what that would look like or feel like for a very long time. I'm still kind of wondering what that is going to feel like when the dust settles. But in terms of animosity towards CNN, I don't have any at all."
"I hope that they learn something from this experience," he continued. "I hope that they take this as an opportunity to look in the mirror and realize that, you know, there is room for change and improvement, and if that's the outcome that it has on CNN and maybe others in the media also can see that as something that's positive."
In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for CNN said, "We remain proud of our journalists and are 100% committed to strong, fearless and fair-minded reporting at CNN, though we will of course take what useful lessons we can from this case."
Young accused CNN of smearing him by implying he illegally profited when helping people flee Afghanistan on the "black market" during the Biden administration's military withdrawal from the country in 2021. Young believed CNN "destroyed his reputation and business" by branding him an illegal profiteer who exploited "desperate Afghans" during the November 2021 segment.
Young's legal team obtained damning CNN internal messages through discovery showing staffers expressing overt hostility towards the Navy veteran. Among those presented to the jury include one calling him a "s---bag," an "a--hole," and one saying he has a "punchable face."
It was also revealed that Marquardt told a colleague "we're gonna nail this Zachary Young mf---er," a message often cited throughout the trial.
Fox News' Annie McCuen and Brian Flood contributed to this report.