'I Think Anthony Is a Pretentious, Insecure Little Baby' - Ronnie Radke Reacts After Ruling Made in Anthony Fantano Defamation Lawsuit

Falling in Reverse frontman Ronnie Radke has lost his defamation lawsuit against YouTube music critic Anthony Fantano, but in a video statement the singer is claiming some sense of victory as filing the lawsuit has allowed him to share his side publicly.

In doing so, Radke is critical of Fantano's style of reporting and also brings to light some of the recent accusations that Fantano has faced over usage of a racial slur. The singer also offers some insight into his own online discourse and how he handles those critical of himself as a public figure.

What Did Ronnie Radke Say About Losing His Defamation Suit Against Anthony Fantano?

Within his 15 minute video addressing his defamation suit loss to Fantano, Radke shared, “I just really wish that [Fantano] would retract what he said and apologize for implying all these things, but he won’t. Because that’s exactly what a narcissist actually would do. For me, people think that I’m insane, right? They think that’ I’m doing all this stuff, because I’m insecure, like responding to people online. Guys, it’s not that serious. I respond to people online because they say the same things that Anthony was implying that I’m a gang rapist or that I’m a bad person or, you know, sometimes ‘your music sucks.’ I’m just being funny."

The singer shares, while pulling back the curtain on his approach to online interactions, "The only way I can respond is to be funny to these people. The stuff that you don’t see me talk about, if I’m not responding, those are the things that are making me mad."

But Fantano's video took things too far according to Radke.

"This video really pissed me off because — and it pissed off a lot of people — it implies to the people that are watching this, the NPCs that follow Anthony Fantano and wait for him to give them their opinion on what they like, they’re not going to go do their research. They’re just going to go, ‘Wow, he really gang raped somebody.’ ‘Wow, he really is transphobic.’ ‘Wow, he is a racist,’ says the singer.

"This is why I sued him and this is the point that I’m making. I knew I was going to lose the lawsuit. It’s not a big deal. It’s just a defamation suit. The reason I did this is so I can put this out, so I can put something out and say my piece before Anthony does. Because you know, Anthony is going to put some video together so he can gain views to pay his rent."

"I wanted to put this out and say my piece," continues Radke. "So if you’re watching this and you’re not a fan and you hate my guts, I really hope that even if you’re not a fan, you can really understand where I’m coming from, because it’s really fucked up and I don’t think anybody should ever do that. I would never make a video about how Anthony Fantano was racist, allegedly, you know what I mean I would never do that.”

Ronnie Radke Responds to Losing Lawsuit to Anthony Fantano

Ronnie Radke Notes the Irony of Anthony Fantano's Current Controversy

Within the discussion, Radke nodded to Fantano currently being under fire for the use of a racial slur while quoting a rapper. Fantano, in response, posted an accountability clip about it on his socials and how that mirrors some of the accusations that Fantano had made about him.

"You’re probably getting a lot of shit for being racist, or whatever they’re saying you are," Radke accused, "And I’m gonna tell you right now, I don’t think Anthony‘s racist. I don’t. I think Anthony Fantano said a bunch of weird, stupid shit, just like me. And I don’t think Anthony is a gang rapist. I don’t think Anthony is a domestic violence person. I don’t think Anthony is all those things."

He continued, "You know, what I do think Anthony is? I think Anthony is a pretentious, insecure little baby that utilizes people for money so he can pay his rent in a negative way. That’s what I think. And that’s what his YouTube has become. It’s one of those things.”

In addition to addressing the slur and taking accountability for his actions, Fantano also used his video to try to dispel misconceptions that he had used deceptive editing in some of his videos.

Why Did Ronnie Radke Initially Sue Anthony Fantano?

At the center of the legal dispute between Radke and Fantano was a 2023 Fantano video titled "This Guy Sucks."

In the nearly eight minute rant, Fantano proceeded to address multiple accusations that had been made against the singer, while Radke noted that the critic had failed to note how each of the accusations had turned out. In three of the instances, accusers had later retracted their statements.

In the suit that Radke filed in August 2024, it's argued that by failing to disclose the resolution of the incidents, Fantano had "acted with malice aforethought and/or engaged in fraud, malice and/or oppression."

It was noted within the suit that "Fantano‘s nearly eight-minute verbal tirade regarding Radke — whom the defendant does not know and has never even met — goes beyond the bounds of permissible commentary and extends into the realm of actionable innuendo, unfounded rumormongering and outright untruth.”

There had previously been a history between Radke and Fantano, who had publicly beefed in 2023 after the critic negatively reviewed the new Falling in Reverse song, "Watch the World Burn" at the time.

Within Radke's new video statement, he shares that he knew the chances of victory were not likely. The singer comments, “I went into this lawsuit suing you because of this video and all this stuff… I went into this lawsuit and my lawyers like, ‘you’re not gonna win this.’ I’m like, ‘I don’t care.’ And it’s all for this, man."