Ex-Donkey Kong Record Holder Billy Mitchell Triumphs in Defamation Lawsuit Against YouTuber

For several years, former Donkey Kong and Pac-Man champion Billy Mitchell’s biggest battles shifted from arcade expos to courtrooms over allegations that he cheated on some of his championship runs. Now, Mitchell has emerged victorious in an Australian court against Karl Jobst, a YouTube artist who allegedly defamed Mitchell.

Jobst has accused Mitchell of cheating numerous times, including his contention that Mitchell used an 8-way joystick for Donkey Kong in his record-breaking runs. Via The Guardian, that allegation paled in comparison to Jobst’s since-retracted assertion that Mitchell drove another YouTube artist, Apollo Legend, to suicide following his legal settlement with the former champ.

Jobst’s defense in court argued that Mitchell has a reputation for cheating and for suing people who made those accusations. The judge agreed with that characterization of Mitchell, but ruled that Jobst’s videos had “severely damaged Mitchell’s reputation and caused distress.”

Following the judge’s ruling, Jobst must now pay $350,000 plus interest to Mitchell. When Mitchell brought the case to the court, he asked for $400,000 in damages and $50,000 in aggravated damages.

Mitchell had previously sued Twin Galaxies to force the organization to restore his high scores. The two sides settled out of court in early 2024, and Mitchell’s scores were re-added to the historical section of Twin Galaxies’ site, but not the current listing of scores.

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