Jobst faces financial reimbursement of AU$380000 in his court battle against Mitchell
In an unexpected turn of events, YouTuber Karl Jobst has been slapped with a hefty fine by an Australian court. The ruling, handed down by Judge Ken Barlow on April 1, 2025, requires Jobst to cough up over AU$380,000 in damages to Billy Mitchell due to defamatory remarks made in a controversial 2021 video.
Jobst, renowned for his content on speedrunning and gaming controversies, released a video titled "The Dirtiest Play in Video Game History!" In this video, he implicated Mitchell in some disturbing allegations. He proposed that Mitchell had profited from a legal settlement with Benjamin Smith – aka Apollo Legend – and that this led to Smith's untimely death in 2020. Jobst further insinuated that Mitchell took pleasure in Smith's demise.
Mitchell, famous for his Donkey Kong high scores, took legal action against Jobst for these baseless claims. The court determined that the settlement between Mitchell and Smith did not include any financial payment. Instead, Smith had agreed to delete content about Mitchell, hand over the copyright to those videos, and cease posting about him altogether. Violating this agreement would have triggered a $25,000 penalty per breach.
Initially, Jobst had claimed that Smith owed Mitchell $1 million. After receiving legal warnings and learning from Smith's brother that no monetary exchanges were involved, Jobst edited the video accordingly.
The court noted that more than half a million people watched the video, including around 20,000 viewers in Australia. Many comments accused Mitchell of murder, demonstrating the damaging fallout of Jobst's false claims.
Judge Barlow also criticized Jobst's flippant response to legal warnings. After receiving a concerns notice from Mitchell's lawyers, Jobst tweeted that he found the situation "exciting" and called the case "an amazing experience."
Jobst has been ordered to shell out AU$300,000 for non-economic loss, AU$50,000 for aggravated damages, and AU$34,668.50 in interest. Judge Barlow noted that Mitchell may have been entitled to more for aggravated damages, but he only requested AU$50,000.
This case is just one of many legal skirmishes involving Mitchell, whose gaming records were reinstated after cheating allegations were resolved in 2018. The battle against Apollo Legend, a YouTuber who produced several videos accusing Mitchell of deceitful practices in Donkey Kong runs, is another significant legal battle in Mitchell's ongoing court saga.
Mitchell has continuously maintained his innocence and continued to defend his legacy in court. However, in an ironic twist, the ruling marks yet another black mark on his previously tarnished record.
- Despite edited claims, YouTuber Karl Jobst was found guilty of violating Billy Mitchell's online agreement, resulting in a hefty AU$380,000 fine.
- Various celebrities and enthusiasts in the pop-culture realm witnessed the fallout of Jobst's false claims, as over half a million people watched his defamatory video.
- Mitchell, renowned for his gaming achievements, agreed to a settlement with Benjamin Smith in the past, not including any financial payment; instead, Smith had ceased posting about Mitchell.
- The crowd during a recent entertainment event was mixed, with some cheering on Mitchell while others questioned his innocence, reflecting the ongoing impact of the legal skirmishes surrounding the gaming icon.
