Exorcist Files Priest's Defamation Suit Clears Key Hurdle
A Michigan judge ruled that on-air denials of his exorcist status were assertions of fact, not mere opinion. Scheduling is set for Oct. 29.
Father Carlos Martins, host of The Exorcist Files podcast and author of a related book, sued Catholic commentators Jesse Romero and Kyle Clement in November 2025 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, alleging defamation over on-air challenges to his credentials as an exorcist.
The complaint centers on episodes of the Jesus 911 podcast aired in November 2024. In those broadcasts, Clement said Martins "is not who he says he is" and is "opining and talking about things which he does not know." Martins claims the statements damaged his credibility, reduced book sales, discouraged podcast advertisers, and drove away listeners. He further alleges emotional distress and a brain injury arising from the controversy.
Motion to dismiss denied
Romero and Clement deny publishing false statements. They maintain that Martins is not an exorcist. The complaint says the defendants partially quoted an email from Martins's religious society, the Companions of the Cross, while omitting language indicating that he had performed exorcisms with diocesan permission.
On August 21, 2026, U.S. District Judge F. Kay Behm denied the defendants' motion to dismiss. The judge held that the contested remarks crossed from protected opinion into assertions of fact capable of supporting a defamation claim. A scheduling conference is set for October 29. The suit seeks unspecified damages.
The defendants are associates of Father Chad Ripperger, who is not named in the lawsuit.
Credentials and the Church's mandate
The civil dispute touches a point the Church guards with care. Solemn exorcism is reserved to priests who have received express permission from the diocesan bishop. Public claims about who holds that mandate—and who does not—bear on both a priest's reputation and the trust of the faithful who seek deliverance ministry.
Martins has presented his public work, through podcast and book, as grounded in that ministry. Romero and Clement used their platform to contest that presentation. The federal court in Michigan will now examine whether the specific statements on Jesus 911 were false and defamatory as alleged, while questions of canonical authorization remain a matter for ecclesiastical authority.