John Oliver faces defamation lawsuit from US healthcare executive

Wed, 02 Apr 2025

Dr Brian Morley claims Last Week Tonight host and show took his words out of context in a 2024 episode on Medicaid

A US healthcare executive has sued John Oliver for defamation following a Last Week Tonight episode on Medicaid, in which the British-American comedian quoted the doctor as saying it was okay for a patient with bowel issues to be “a little dirty for a couple of days”.

Dr Brian Morley, the ex-medical director of AmeriHealth Caritas, argues that Oliver – an outspoken comic whose show has not only addressed muzzling lawsuits but been subject to them – took the quote out of context in an April 2024 episode on Medicaid.