Willis

INTRODUCTION

Karen L. Willis, doing business as Harlem West Entertainment, is married to the cofounder and original lead singer of the Village People, a well-known band that has had numerous hit songs over the decades. Willis sued the Walt Disney Company, Walt Disney World Entertainment, and a Disney employee, Bradley Ross (collectively, Disney), alleging Disney violated the Unfair Competition Law (Bus. & Prof. Code, § 17200 et seq.; UCL) and committed fraud by deciding not to book the Village People for future musical concerts at Disney venues and making false or misleading statements to the band’s agents about the possibility of hiring the band for such performances. Disney responded by filing a special motion to strike the complaint

under the anti-SLAPP statute,1 Code of Civil Procedure section 425.16.2 The trial court denied the motion, finding Disney failed to carry its initial burden of establishing that the anti-SLAPP statute protected the alleged conduct giving rise to Willis’ complaint. Disney appeals the order denying its anti-SLAPP motion. Disney argues its selection of which musical acts to showcase at its public concerts, as well as its communications with the…