Published on: December 31, 2025, 10:11h.
Updated on: December 31, 2025, 10:11h.
<ul>
<li><strong>A Virginia police officer has initiated a defamation lawsuit against a guest at Hard Rock</strong></li>
<li><strong>The guest alleges that the officer mistakenly removed her from a VIP section</strong></li>
<li><strong>The guest shared videos claiming she was assaulted by the officer who has filed the lawsuit</strong></li>
</ul>
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<p class="p1"><span class="s1">An altercation on September 6, 2025, at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol in Virginia has resulted in a local law enforcement officer pursuing a defamation claim against a well-known TikTok personality.</span></p>
<figure id="attachment_371975" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-371975" data-style="width: 858px" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="size-post-thumbnail-858xAUTO wp-image-371975" src="https://www.casino.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-31-at-10.55.12%E2%80%AFAM-858x572.jpg" alt="Lawsuit details from Hard Rock Bristol" width="858" height="572" srcset="https://www.casino.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-31-at-10.55.12 AM-858x572.jpg 858w, https://www.casino.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-31-at-10.55.12 AM-430x287.jpg 430w, https://www.casino.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-31-at-10.55.12 AM-302x200.jpg 302w, https://www.casino.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-31-at-10.55.12 AM-238x158.jpg 238w, https://www.casino.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-31-at-10.55.12 AM-194x128.jpg 194w, https://www.casino.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-31-at-10.55.12 AM.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 858px) 100vw, 858px"/>
<figcaption id="caption-attachment-371975" class="text-description">Body camera footage from the Bristol Police Department captures Stephanie Bates and her husband following their improper removal from a VIP lounge. The footage suggests Bates became unruly after being questioned about her VIP credentials, leading to defamation claims against the police through TikTok videos, according to a federal complaint. (Image: Bristol Virginia Police Department)</figcaption>
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<p class="p1"><span class="s1">The plaintiff, Lilly-Kay Tomlinson, a Bristol Police officer, has filed a federal complaint in Virginia's Western District Court asserting that the defendant, Stephanie Bates, defamed her via social media videos after the incident at the casino in September 2025. Tomlinson was present at the Hard Rock property as an on-site police officer when she was tasked with investigating Bates' unauthorized entry into a VIP lounge.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">According to Tomlinson, as she sought verification from Bates and her husband, Josh Williams, regarding their VIP access, Bates exhibited unruly behavior and refused to cooperate. Body camera footage from the Bristol PD captures Bates asserting that they were mistaken about her identity.</span></p>
<blockquote class="main-blockquote">
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">“You’re here for me? What the f***? You ain’t here for me, baby,” Bates says. “Go run your cameras.”</span></p>
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<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Bates was later heard directing Tomlinson to instruct the Hard Rock staff to “go get f***ed,” expressing her agitation as she stated, “I’m about to lose my s***.”</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Ultimately, Bates and her spouse exited the lounge, where a staff member later confirmed to Tomlinson that she was indeed approved for VIP access, which includes complimentary drinks and a buffet.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">After the incident, Bates accused Tomlinson of being a “piece of trash” who “needs to get f***ing fired.”</span></p>
<h2 class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>TikTok Influencer Incident</b></span><span class="s1"> </span></h2>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">After her ejection from the Hard Rock Bristol VIP section, Bates went live on TikTok, where she shared the incident with her nearly 300,000 followers. Her content has been liked over 4.6 million times across various posts.</span></p>
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<p class="p1"><span class="s1">In a video titled “Violent Cop Who Wrongly Assaulted Me,” Bates claims that Tomlinson “assaulted” her by grabbing her arm. Although Bates visited a hospital afterward, medical personnel determined she had not incurred any injuries.</span></p>
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<p class="p1"><span class="s1">“The lady cop kept trying to argue with me and with Josh, just like that male officer. I suppose they didn't appreciate that I called him a rent-a-cop, right?” Bates remarked in her video. “They were entirely wrong. I hadn’t done anything, and they threatened to arrest us for disorderly conduct because they didn't like our tone.”</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Bates insisted that the police should “get their facts straight” before calling Tomlinson a “dumb b***h.”</span></p>
<h2 class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>Details of the Lawsuit</b></span></h2>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">The lawsuit filed by Tomlinson seeks $200,000 in damages for “libelous video accusations” asserting that she is a “violent cop.” Bates' video concerning the incident has attracted over 1.2 million views and garnered 58,000 likes.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">The complaint includes three defamation claims, with Tomlinson requesting $75,000 in compensatory damages and $125,000 in punitive damages. Additionally, the lawsuit seeks reimbursement for all reasonable attorney fees and court expenses incurred.</span></p>