Wilson sues former friend Frith for $800m in defamation clash
Published:Sunday | September 14, 2025 | 12:11 AM
Businessman Tyrone Wilson has filed an $800 million defamation lawsuit in the Supreme Court against fellow entrepreneur and former friend Kevin Frith, who has dismissed the claim as baseless and declared that Wilson “needs to go and get his life together”.
Wilson, founder and executive chairman of Kintyre Holdings (Ja) Limited (formerly iCreate Limited), claims that Frith made false and malicious remarks via WhatsApp, including allegations surrounding a 2020 BMW X5 and a business transaction reportedly involving over $155 million.
He is alleging that the damaging statements, made in May 2023, have severely harmed his reputation and business.
In court documents filed on May 30, Wilson asserts that the statements portrayed him as “fraudulent, financially irresponsible, morally corrupt, deceptive, dishonest, exploitative, and unethical”. He argues that the remarks were widely shared and caused significant reputational damage among investors, business associates, and the wider public.
The lawsuit contends that Frith either knew the statements were false or acted with reckless disregard for the truth. Wilson claims the allegations were designed to discredit him professionally and socially, jeopardising his credibility as a public figure in business and innovation.
Wilson is seeking $800 million in damages for loss of business opportunities, as well as aggravated damages and an injunction to prevent Frith from repeating or publishing similar statements.
In an interview with The Sunday Gleaner on September 10, Frith dismissed the lawsuit as baseless and attention-seeking.
“What I’m simply saying, Sir, is that Tyrone, to take out a lawsuit against me, it is obvious that he’s seeking attention,” Frith said. “I’m busy with my business and my own personal life. I don’t have no attention to give Tyrone and his problems. So, he needs to go and get his life together so he can be busy the same as I am, moving forward in life.”
Frith, CEO of TCF Holdings and developer of the Sun Coast Beach Club in St Thomas, further claimed that anything he said was truthful and therefore not defamatory.
“I’ve not seen what his allegations are. Right. However, if he’s referring to anything that I’ve said, whatever I’ve said is the truth. So, in my view, you cannot be defaming someone if you’re speaking the truth,” he said. “I’m a sensible person. So, I would never say something that is not so. I have no reason to. ... He needs to go and spend his time to get his life and his act together.”
Wilson’s lawsuit outlines the personal toll the alleged defamation has taken.
“The re-publications caused great mental, physical, social and financial injury to the claimant (Wilson),” one of the court documents said.
“He was isolated due to the distasteful commentary on social media platforms by members of society. He faced great anxiety and depression. The frequency of his sickle cell flares significantly increased and he developed further illness. He has suffered great financial loss as a result, including, but not limited to, the plummeting of the value of his companies and the withdrawal of business deals. Further, the reputational damage has hindered his ability to seek new business opportunities.”
The legal clash marks a striking fallout between two former allies in Jamaica’s business community.
Under Jamaican defamation law, claimants must prove that defamatory statements were published, referred to them, and caused reputational harm. Defendants, however, may rely on defences such as truth, honest opinion, or qualified privilege.
Wilson is being represented by attorney Celine Deidrick.