India, May 20 -- A jury has ordered social media star and musician Ryan Upchurch to pay $17.5 million in damages after finding him liable for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress on the family of Kiely Rodni, a teenager who died in August 2022. The verdict, handed down on Monday, May 18 came after the grandfather and father of the late teen sued Upchurch in 2023, per People.

Before the courtroom drama, Ryan Upchurch built his name as an internet sensation. He first rose to fame through YouTube, where his comedic character "Upchurch the Redneck" quickly took off and he earned a fanbase of over half a million followers in just four months, according to IMDb. He went on to create other beloved characters, including "L...