Courtney Love wins Twitter libel case

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 25 (UPI) -- Rocker Courtney Love won a Twitter libel case in Los Angeles in which her former attorney accused of her defamation on the popular social media website.

Rhonda Holmes sued Love for $8 million after the musician took to Twitter to complain about a relationship gone sour with the lawyer, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday.

Love had hired Holmes in December 2008 to look into possible missing funds from the estate of rocker Kurt Cobain, Love's late husband. Love and her lawyer parted ways six months later because Holmes alleged Love didn't keep up her end of the legal relationship and refrain from drug use during the time.

Holmes also accused Love of being difficult and not returning her calls.

After the relationship went south, Love mentioned Holmes in a Twitter post in June 2010.

"@noozjunkie I was ... devastated when Rhonda J Holmes Esq of San Diego was bought off @fairnewsspears perhaps you can get a quote," she wrote.

Holmes accused Love of posting the message out of vengeance. Love said she believed she was sending the post as a direct message, not to the general public.

The battle was the first Twitter libel case to go to trial, the Times reported. The jury determined that though Love's message could injure Holmes' business, they didn't believe Love knew the statement to be false.