Trevor Noah has been party to two publicly reported legal matters: a medical malpractice lawsuit he filed in November 2021 against Manhattan’s Hospital for Special Surgery and orthopedic surgeon Dr. Riley J. Williams III, and a defamation lawsuit that President Donald Trump publicly threatened in February 2026 over a joke Noah told while hosting the Grammy Awards. One is an active civil claim by Noah; the other, as of the most recent reporting, remains a threat rather than a filed case.
The 2021 Medical Malpractice Lawsuit
Noah filed a 14-page complaint on November 29, 2021, in New York’s Supreme Court in Manhattan, naming both the Hospital for Special Surgery and Dr. Riley J. Williams III as defendants.1Los Angeles Times. Trevor Noah Malpractice Lawsuit Hospital Surgery The suit covered care Noah received between August 25, 2020, and December 17, 2020, including a surgery performed on November 23, 2020, which the complaint said “was performed and rendered in a negligent and careless manner, and constituted professional negligence.”2NBC News. Trevor Noah Sues NYC Hospital, Orthopedic Surgeon for Negligence, Failures
The complaint did not identify the medical condition being treated or the type of surgery performed. It set out a wide range of allegations against the defendants: failure to properly diagnose his condition, failure to refer him to appropriately skilled specialists, negligent performance of exams and surgery, failure to prescribe proper medications, failure to discontinue certain prescriptions, and failure to obtain informed consent by not adequately explaining risks and alternatives.3People. Trevor Noah Files Lawsuit Against NYC Hospital, Doctor Over Botched Surgery Noah accused the doctor and hospital of falling short of “the standards of care and treatment generally accepted in the community.”1Los Angeles Times. Trevor Noah Malpractice Lawsuit Hospital Surgery Williams is a sports medicine surgeon at HSS whose patients have included players for the Brooklyn Nets, New York Liberty, and New York Red Bulls.4Hospital for Special Surgery. Riley Williams Doctor Profile
Injuries and Damages Claimed
According to the filing, Noah was left with “permanent, severe, and grievous injuries” and was “rendered sick, sore, lame and disabled.” He said he experienced “severe nervous shock, mental anguish, severe emotional distress and great physical pain” along with a “loss of enjoyment of life,” was confined to bed and home for a lengthy period, and could not work in his usual occupation. Because some injuries were alleged to be permanent, the complaint said he would “continue to suffer similar damages in the future.” The suit sought unspecified damages; no dollar figure appeared in the complaint.2NBC News. Trevor Noah Sues NYC Hospital, Orthopedic Surgeon for Negligence, Failures
The Hospital’s Response
The Hospital for Special Surgery called the allegations “meritless.” In a public statement, HSS said it had “shared with Mr. Noah’s attorney a detailed rebuttal to the claims” but added that it was “restricted by law from addressing publicly specific aspects of the treatment of any patient” because of federal health privacy rules.5ABC7 New York. Trevor Noah Lawsuit New York City Hospital
Where the Malpractice Case Stands
Available reporting covers the initial filing and the hospital’s response, but no resolution has been publicly reported. The suit was filed within the window New York law generally allows for medical malpractice claims, which is two years and six months from the alleged malpractice or the end of continuous treatment for the condition at issue.6New York Courts. Statute of Limitations Timetable Whether the case has settled, been dismissed, or remains pending is not part of the public record reviewed here.
Trump’s 2026 Defamation Threat Over a Grammys Joke
The second matter is not a lawsuit but a public threat of one. While hosting the 68th Annual Grammy Awards on February 1, 2026, Noah joked about the song of the year category: “That is a Grammy that every artist wants almost as much as Trump wants Greenland, which makes sense, I mean, because Epstein’s island is gone, he needs a new one to hang out on with Bill Clinton.”7NBC News. Trump Threatens to Sue Trevor Noah Over Grammy Joke About Epstein Island
The following morning, Trump posted on Truth Social calling the joke “false and defamatory” and denying he had ever been to the island. “I can’t speak for Bill [Clinton], but I have never been to Epstein Island, nor anywhere close, and until tonight’s false and defamatory statement, have never been accused of being there,” he wrote.8BBC News. Trump Threatens to Sue Trevor Noah Over Grammys Joke Trump added: “It looks like I’ll be sending my lawyers to sue this poor, pathetic, talentless, dope of an M.C., and suing him for plenty$,” closing with, “Get ready Noah, I’m going to have some fun with you!”9Time. Trump Epstein Joke Lawsuit Threat Trevor Noah Grammys
How Legal Experts View the Threat
Geoffrey Stone, a distinguished law professor at the University of Chicago, called a defamation suit on these facts “utterly implausible.” Stone said Noah’s remarks were “clearly jokes” understood by the audience as humor rather than factual assertions, which places them within First Amendment protection. He also noted that Trump, as a public official, would face the higher legal burden that applies to public-figure plaintiffs and would need to prove the statements were made with “reckless disregard for the truth.”10University of Chicago Law School. Geoffrey Stone Talks First Amendment Protection, Comedian Trevor Noah
Has Trump Actually Sued?
No. As of the April 14, 2026 release of Noah’s Netflix special Joy in the Trenches, Trump had not filed a formal lawsuit against Noah in any court, and the White House did not comment on Noah’s follow-up jokes about the episode.11Mashable. Trevor Noah Trump Epstein Grammys Comedy Special