Amyl and the Sniffers’ camp called it a win. The court transcript tells a very different story.
Amyl and the Sniffers’ camp has been pushing a “near-complete victory” line following the latest hearing in Amy Taylor’s legal dispute with photographer Jamie Nelson.
Blunt was contacted directly by Simone Ubaldi, a representative for the band, who said the publication’s coverage was “just plain wrong” and that “you’ve got the facts wrong.”
Ubaldi claimed that “the final judgement was issued yesterday, ruling in our favour on the anti-SLAPP AND the motion for judgement.”
Blunt asked for the court document or docket reference to verify that claim but did not receive a response.
The same claims were then posted repeatedly across social media accounts that appeared to be from Amyl’s camp, accompanied by strong criticism of Blunt’s coverage, including allegations that the publication was “smearing” the band and acting as a “mouthpiece for the photographer.”
The problem is, the court transcript tells a different story.
Blunt had reviewed the court’s tentative ruling and has now viewed the full March 30 hearing transcript. At that hearing, the judge made it clear there has been no final ruling, stating he had “stayed the final ruling” and that the tentative outcome would “basically be the same.”
In other words, nothing has been decided yet.
Instead, the judge confirmed a split position. Nelson’s anti-SLAPP motion was denied, meaning her attempt to shut the case down early failed. However, Taylor’s main federal claim — which argued the photos falsely suggested her endorsement or commercial involvement — was thrown out in its current form, with the court allowing her an opportunity to amend.
That leaves both sides with parts of their case still in play.
The tone in court didn’t reflect a clean win for anyone.
“There’s no telling who is ultimately going to win,” the judge said. “It’s like rolling the dice.”
At another point, he warned Nelson directly: “it’s only going to get worse if you decide to go forward.”
Rather than declaring a winner, the court repeatedly pushed both sides toward settlement, directing them to mediation ahead of the next hearing scheduled for April 27.
The exchange in court also revealed how far apart the two sides are on the value of the case.
Taylor’s lawyer pointed to her work with major fashion brands and suggested the images could be worth millions. Nelson didn’t hesitate to push back.
“My photography is worth millions of dollars as well,” she said.
For a punk musician and a photographer representing herself, both sides seemed more than happy to talk up how cashed up they were.
The judge’s takeaway was clear. Both sides believe there is serious money at stake, but neither side has any guarantee of winning.
That’s why he kept steering the case toward mediation.
For now, the dispute remains ongoing, with no final ruling issued and key parts of both sides’ arguments still unresolved.
As for the “near-complete victory”? That depends who you ask.
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