Funimation’s most significant legal fight was the 2019 defamation lawsuit brought by voice actor Vic Mignogna after the company fired him over sexual misconduct allegations. Texas courts dismissed every one of his claims under the state’s anti-SLAPP statute and ordered him to pay hundreds of thousands in legal fees. Beyond that case, Funimation lawsuits on the public record are limited: an ADA website accessibility class action that settled in 2021, and a creditor dispute with ADV Films that settled in 2014.
The Vic Mignogna Defamation Suit
Mignogna, the English voice of Broly in the Dragon Ball franchise and Edward Elric in Fullmetal Alchemist, was fired by Funimation in early February 2019 after an internal investigation into sexual misconduct allegations that surfaced online in January of that year. Convention attendees reported he had hugged and kissed fans without consent, with some accounts involving minors and dating back to 2008.1Variety. Vic Mignogna Sues Funimation Fellow voice actors Monica Rial and Jamie Marchi publicly described their own disturbing experiences with him.2NPR. Dragon Ball Voice Actor Mignogna Loses Appeal in Sexual Harassment Defamation Suit Mignogna denied the allegations, calling them “heartbreaking” in a January 2019 Twitter statement.
On April 18, 2019, Mignogna sued four defendants in Tarrant County District Court: Funimation Productions, LLC; Rial; Marchi; and Ron Toye, Rial’s fiancé, who the complaint described as an agent or employee of Funimation.1Variety. Vic Mignogna Sues Funimation The complaint pleaded four causes of action: defamation, tortious interference with existing contracts, tortious interference with prospective business relations, and civil conspiracy.3The Dao of Dragon Ball. Victor Mignogna v. Funimation – Original Complaint He sought more than $1 million in damages, arguing that tweets and public statements by the defendants had destroyed his career.
The defendants moved to dismiss under the Texas Citizens Participation Act, the state’s anti-SLAPP law, arguing their statements were protected opinion on a matter of public concern, that the underlying allegations were true, and that Mignogna could not meet his burden as a public figure.4Midpage. Victor Mignogna v. Funimation Productions
How the Case Ended
State District Judge John P. Chupp dismissed twelve of Mignogna’s claims at a September 6, 2019, hearing. After a failed court-ordered mediation on October 2, he dismissed the remaining claims on October 4, leaving Mignogna 0-for-17 across every legal theory he had raised.5Dallas Morning News. Anime Voice Actor Vic Mignogna Loses Big as Judge Drops Final Claims The court found that Mignogna was a general-purpose public figure, that the defendants’ communications addressed matters of public concern, and that he had failed to produce the clear and specific evidence the TCPA required.4Midpage. Victor Mignogna v. Funimation Productions
At a November 2019 fees hearing, the defense sought $800,000. Chupp awarded roughly $238,000, consisting of $223,042.42 in attorney fees and $15,000 in sanctions, and set an additional $287,500 in contingent fees Mignogna would owe if he appealed.6ComicBook.com. Vic Mignogna Dragon Ball Super Lawsuit Funimation Ruling7Anime News Network. Supreme Court of Texas Denies Petition to Review Vic Mignogna Lawsuit
Mignogna appealed. On August 18, 2022, the Texas Second Court of Appeals in Fort Worth affirmed the dismissal of every substantive claim, holding he had failed to show falsity, actual malice, or the context needed to make the challenged tweets actionable. The court noted that a defendant’s awareness of a plaintiff’s denials does not by itself create doubt about the truth of the defendant’s statements, and that failure to investigate before speaking is not evidence of actual malice. The tortious interference and conspiracy claims failed for lack of a valid contract and proximate causation.4Midpage. Victor Mignogna v. Funimation Productions The one narrow win on appeal was procedural: the appellate court found the specific fee amounts awarded to Rial and Toye lacked sufficient evidentiary support and sent those figures back to the trial court for recalculation. The sanctions and everything else were affirmed.7Anime News Network. Supreme Court of Texas Denies Petition to Review Vic Mignogna Lawsuit
The Supreme Court of Texas denied Mignogna’s petition for review on December 30, 2022, without opinion, ending the case.8SCOTXBlog. Victor Mignogna v. Funimation Productions, LLC – Case No. 22-1016
What the Loss Cost Mignogna
Mignogna reportedly owes the defendants more than $500,000 in combined legal fees and sanctions from the trial and appeals.9AnimeCons. Vic Mignogna Guest Bio2NPR. Dragon Ball Voice Actor Mignogna Loses Appeal in Sexual Harassment Defamation Suit There is no public indication he has returned to work with any of the major production houses that dropped him in 2019. Johnny Yong Bosch replaced him as Broly in Dragon Ball FighterZ and redubbed the role in the Dragon Ball Super: Broly film.10Kotaku. Vic Mignogna Lawsuit Dragon Ball Z Funimation Court
ADA Website Accessibility Class Action
A blind plaintiff named Jenisa Angeles filed a class-action lawsuit against Funimation Global Group, LLC in federal court, alleging that the company’s website and mobile app were inaccessible to screen-reading software in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act. The parties settled in 2021 without Funimation admitting liability. Under the settlement, Funimation agreed to bring its digital platforms into conformance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1 Level AA), use third-party accessibility testing, and train its developers. The company paid $30,000 in attorneys’ fees and a $2,500 incentive award to Angeles. The court granted final approval and dismissed the case with prejudice on October 20, 2021.11Anime News Network. Funimation Reaches Settlement in Class Action Lawsuit Over Allegedly Violating Americans With Disabilities Act
Funimation v. ADV Films
Funimation was the plaintiff in a business dispute against ADV Films, John Ledford, Sentai Filmworks, Section23, and several other parties. Funimation alleged it was a creditor of ADV Films and that ADV had tried to dodge its debts by transferring assets to newly formed companies at below-market prices, stripping the original entity of anything to collect against. ADV countersued, claiming Funimation was acting as a monopolist in violation of federal and state antitrust law. The counterclaim was dismissed in May 2013. After mediation, the parties settled all remaining claims and the case was dismissed in May 2014. Neither side disclosed the terms.12Anime Herald. Case Dismissed: ADV Funimation Settle 2-Year Lawsuit
No Lawsuit Over the Crunchyroll Shutdown
Funimation officially shut down on April 2, 2024, after Sony merged its content library into Crunchyroll. The transition left some users unable to access digital copies they had received with physical media purchases, because Crunchyroll does not support Funimation’s digital copy system. Crunchyroll said it would address affected users on a case-by-case basis. No class action or formal legal proceeding over the lost digital content has been publicly reported.13Yahoo Entertainment. Sony Dissolves Funimation, User Purchases