A federal judge has denied blogger Milagro Elizabeth Cooper, known online as Milagro Gramz, a request to halt enforcement of a $75,000 judgment awarded to rapper Megan Thee Stallion while Cooper pursues an appeal, clearing the way for the judgment to be collected.
In an order issued Monday, U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga rejected Cooper’s motion to stay execution of the judgment pending appeal, concluding that she failed to demonstrate either a likelihood of success on appeal or that she would suffer irreparable harm if the judgment were enforced.
Cooper argued in court filings that paying the judgment immediately, or posting a supersedeas bond for the full amount during the appeal, would create financial hardship because she is self-employed and her income fluctuates.
“I do not possess substantial liquid assets and do not have the financial resources necessary to immediately satisfy the judgment,” Cooper wrote in her filing.
Judge Altonaga found the record did not support those claims.
“The Court has no reliable basis to evaluate Defendant’s finances,” the judge wrote, adding that Cooper failed to show creditors “would be placed in undue jeopardy” if the judgment were enforced. The court also determined Cooper had not demonstrated that her appeal was likely to succeed, finding she offered only generalized disagreement with the jury’s verdict and the court’s post-trial rulings.
The ruling marks another legal victory for Megan Thee Stallion, whose legal name is Megan Pete, in a defamation lawsuit stemming from statements Cooper made about the Grammy-winning artist. Last year, a federal jury found Cooper liable for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress after determining she participated in a campaign to spread false claims about the rapper, including promoting a sexually explicit deepfake video depicting Pete. The jury awarded Pete $75,000 in damages.
Cooper previously appealed the judgment to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and sought to pause collection efforts until that appeal is resolved. Attorneys for Pete opposed the request, arguing Cooper had not met the legal standard required for a stay.
With the motion denied, Pete is now positioned to move forward with collecting the $75,000 judgment while the appeal proceeds unless an appellate court grants further relief.
