Did FBI Director Kash Patel order the security detail protecting Alexis Wilkins to drive a friend home, as MS NOW reported?

MS NOW reported, citing three unnamed sources, that Kash Patel ordered the FBI detail protecting Alexis Wilkins to drive a friend home. The FBI and Wilkins say it did not happen, MS NOW stands by its reporting, and her defamation suit is pending.

Claim in dispute

MS NOW reported on December 5, 2025, citing three unnamed people with knowledge of the incidents, that FBI Director Kash Patel ordered, on more than one occasion, that the security detail protecting Alexis Wilkins escort one of her friends home after what the article calls a night of partying in Nashville, and that Wilkins asked agents at least two times, including once "this spring," to drive the friend home.

Open source

The J. Edgar Hoover Building in Washington, D.C., in a June 2024 photo by ajay_suresh.

Case period:December 5, 2025

Published by The Dispute Index editorial teamPublished October 5, 2026Updated October 5, 2026

Alexis WilkinsMS NOWKash PatelFederal Bureau of InvestigationVersant Media GroupCarol Leonnig Ken Dilanian

Media Law Enforcement

Overview

The fixed reference point for classification in this case is the proposition that, on at least one occasion, FBI Director Kash Patel ordered the FBI agents assigned to protect Alexis Wilkins to escort or drive a friend of hers home, as MS NOW reported on December 5, 2025. A response that asserts or endorses that proposition is recorded as Condemned, which here records only an attributed assertion and no judgment on the speaker or anyone else. A response that explicitly says the reported events did not happen is recorded as Denied. A response that disputes the portrayal or the reporting without saying the events did not happen is recorded as Challenged the characterization. A response that depends on a stated condition is recorded as Mixed or conditional, and one that expressly stays out of a question is recorded as Explicitly stayed out.

Wilkins, a Nashville-based country singer and political commentator, has dated Patel since before he became FBI director in 2025, and the two announced their engagement on X on October 4, 2026 (Associated Press (opens in a new tab)).

This case keeps five questions apart: what MS NOW reported and how it was sourced, what the FBI and Wilkins say, whether the detail existed at the time and when it began, what the lawsuit is and what it does not decide, and what is not established. The article gives no name for the friend, and we did not try to identify them. Information is current as of October 5, 2026.

MS NOW published the report on December 5, 2025, under the names of Carol Leonnig and Ken Dilanian. The article (opens in a new tab) says Patel ordered "on more than one occasion" that the security detail protecting Wilkins escort one of her "allegedly inebriated friends" home "after a night of partying in Nashville," "according to three people with knowledge of the incidents." It says Wilkins asked agents on her security team "at least two times, including once this spring, to drive her friend home," that the agents objected, and that Patel insisted and in one case called the leader of the detail and yelled at him to do so. The sources, it says, "were granted anonymity to discuss nonpublic matters." The article gives no specific date, no name for the friend and no description of the sources. Dilanian announced it on X (opens in a new tab) with the same attribution. MS NOW President Rebecca Kutler said on June 1, 2026 that "We stand firmly behind MS NOW's reporting" (NBC News (opens in a new tab)).

On what the FBI says, Williamson is quoted in the article (opens in a new tab) saying "This is made up and did not happen." The sentence introducing his quotation has changed: an Internet Archive capture (opens in a new tab) from 11:58 UTC on December 5 says he "did not answer questions about multiple inside accounts of Wilkins' detail being diverted, but broadly denied such events took place," and a capture (opens in a new tab) from 15:39 UTC says he "broadly disputed that such events took place." Williamson wrote on X (opens in a new tab) that the earlier claim was incorrect, and we found no correction note on the article. In a longer post (opens in a new tab) he wrote "1,000% false and did not happen" and said he had checked with "everyone involved" and found no corroboration or record of it. He quoted the reporter's reply to his request for a date or the friend's name as "We do not have that info but are comfortable with our sourcing"; the text exchange printed in Wilkins's complaint (opens in a new tab) words the reply differently. As of October 5, 2026, we did not find a statement by Patel addressing the report or a public response from MS NOW, Dilanian or Leonnig to Williamson's account.

On what Wilkins says, she replied on X (opens in a new tab) that the sources were "the voices in his head" and wrote that Dilanian should try something "remotely believable" instead of "some party girl trope that's lame and verifiably false." Her complaint, filed through her lawyers, says Patel "has never ordered any FBI agent or member of Ms. Wilkins' security detail to escort any of Ms. Wilkins' friends home" and that she did not ask any of them to do so. The court's September 14 order (opens in a new tab) records each side's theory: Wilkins contends the reporters either fabricated the existence of "anonymous sources" or, if they existed, "recklessly disregarded their lack of personal knowledge," and the defendants say they wrote the article "in good faith, believing everything in it was accurate."

On whether the detail existed at the time, the accounts conflict and we did not find an on-record FBI statement that dates it. The article says "this spring" without a year, and the complaint reads it as spring 2025. MS NOW's first report on the detail (opens in a new tab), on November 17, 2025, says Wilkins "currently enjoys" it and gives no start date; the FBI said in a statement that she "has faced hundreds of credible death threats related to her relationship with Director Patel." The complaint says "Ms. Wilkins did not have a security detail at that time" and that she had "only then been recently assigned a detail" by November 17, and her opposition brief (opens in a new tab) says "In late 2025" the FBI assigned one. The defendants' memorandum (opens in a new tab) says "Other reporting, however, states she had FBI protection by the spring of 2025," citing a New York Times article of November 23, 2025, and calls the timing irrelevant to the motion. A copy of that article (opens in a new tab) cites six unnamed people for SWAT agents sent with Wilkins to a National Rifle Association event in Atlanta "in the spring," and a copy of a February 28, 2026 Times article (opens in a new tab) cites an unnamed FBI official for a full-time SWAT team assigned after Patel took office. As of October 5, 2026, we did not find an FBI document or on-record FBI statement that gives a start date.

The complaint also addresses drinking. The article applies "allegedly inebriated" to the friend. The complaint says the article implies Wilkins was inebriated while stating that it "never explicitly states" so, and it says she "very rarely drinks, if ever" (paragraph 22) and "does not even consume alcohol" (paragraph 31). The defendants' memorandum says the article "does not imply that Wilkins was inebriated." The opposition brief argues that implying someone is "a habitual drinker and partier" is more serious than implying "someone who may have an occasional alcoholic drink."

Wilkins sued Versant Media Group, Inc., Leonnig and Dilanian on May 29, 2026 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee (opens in a new tab). The complaint pleads defamation and false light invasion of privacy and says Wilkins "is not a public figure"; the defendants' memorandum says she "is a public figure" who would need to show actual malice. On August 11 the defendants moved to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction or to transfer the case to the District of Columbia and, failing that, to dismiss the claims because the article is not defamatory of Wilkins. As of October 5, 2026, the CourtListener copy of the docket, last updated September 15, 2026, lists no ruling on that motion. The magistrate judge denied a stay of discovery (opens in a new tab) on August 21, writing that "this case will proceed somewhere," and a September 15 order (opens in a new tab) sets a jury trial for May 16, 2028. Leonnig's and Dilanian's declarations address only where they live and worked, and the record we read holds no sworn statement about the incidents or the sources. The defendants' motion to stay (opens in a new tab) says they expect to invoke a reporter's privilege to protect the sources' identity. Their memorandum says reporting her request "even if she did not actually make the request" is not defamatory; it does not say whether the request or the order occurred.

As of October 5, 2026, it is not established whether the reported order or request occurred. We did not find a named witness or source who has said on the record that it did, the FBI spokesperson and Wilkins say it did not, and the article attributes the account to three unnamed sources. We did not find another outlet reporting the incidents from its own sources. It is also not established who the sources are or what they knew, when the security detail began, whether agents carried out any such order, or how the court will rule on any motion or claim.

People in this case

Alexis WilkinsDirectly involved
Kash PatelDirectly involved
Carol LeonnigDirectly involved

Timeline

17 timeline entries on this page. Dates: November 17, 2025 to October 4, 2026

November 2025
2 events
1. November 17, 2025
  MS NOW reports that Alexis Wilkins has an FBI security detail
  Claim
  MS NOW reported, citing two people with direct knowledge, that Wilkins "currently enjoys the protection" of an FBI security detail made up of agents usually assigned to a SWAT team in Nashville. The FBI said in a statement that she "has faced hundreds of credible death threats related to her relationship with Director Patel." The article gives no start date for the detail.
  [01]MS NOW: Kash Patel's girlfriend being protected by FBI SWAT agents as security perk (Ken Dilanian and Carol Leonnig), November 17, 2025
  Source excerpt
  Ms. Wilkins is receiving a protective detail because she has faced hundreds of credible death threats related to her relationship with Director Patel, whom she has been dating for three years. Out of respect for her safety, we will not be providing additional details,
  MS NOW's first report on the security detail for Alexis Wilkins, citing two people with direct knowledge. It says she "currently enjoys the protection" of the detail and gives no start date. The FBI statement it prints is unsigned. The article carries two dated corrections at its foot, on Wilkins's age and on the wife of a former FBI director.
  MS NOW: Kash Patel's girlfriend being protected by FBI SWAT agents as security perk (Ken Dilanian and Carol Leonnig), November 17, 2025 · MS NOWOpening paragraphs and the FBI statement; page stamped Nov. 17, 2025, 5:00 AM EST
2. November 23, 2025
  The New York Times reports SWAT agents protected Wilkins at a spring event, citing anonymous sources
  Claim
  In an article that The Boston Globe republished, The New York Times reported that two SWAT agents were sent with Wilkins to a National Rifle Association convention event in Atlanta "in the spring" on Patel's orders, citing six people with knowledge, and that SWAT resources had been diverted to protect her "several times in recent months," including in Nashville. It quoted FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson as saying she "has faced hundreds of credible death threats."
  [02]The Boston Globe (copy of a New York Times article by Alan Feuer, Adam Goldman and Glenn Thrush): FBI Director Kash Patel under scrutiny for use of SWAT teams to protect his girlfriend, November 23, 2025
  Source excerpt
  sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the National Rifle Association’s annual convention in Atlanta in the spring, she arrived with a formidable protective posse
  A copy of a New York Times article published by The Boston Globe, which says it originally appeared in The Times; we could not open the Times page and quote the copy, so every quotation from it is secondhand. It relies on unnamed people, including six it cites for the Atlanta incident. It describes SWAT agents at an NRA convention event in Atlanta "in the spring" without a month and does not mention the reported ride-home incidents. The defendants' memorandum cites this article for the statement that Wilkins had FBI protection by the spring of 2025.
  The Boston Globe (copy of a New York Times article by Alan Feuer, Adam Goldman and Glenn Thrush): FBI Director Kash Patel under scrutiny for use of SWAT teams to protect his girlfriend, November 23, 2025 · The Boston GlobeOpening paragraphs and the paragraph on SWAT resources "diverted" in recent months
December 2025
5 events
1. December 2, 2025
  MS NOW's reporter puts the allegation to the FBI spokesperson
  According to Ben Williamson's post on X, he received the allegation on a Tuesday and told the reporter it sounded made up. The complaint dates Dilanian's approach to Williamson to December 2, 2025 and prints a text exchange in which Williamson asks for a general date and the friend's name and Dilanian replies that "we are comfortable with our sourcing." We have not seen the messages, and the two accounts word the reply differently.
  [03]Ben Williamson on X, December 5, 2025: "1,000% false and did not happen"
  Source excerpt
  1,000% false and did not happen. And I’d like to give some BTS insight into how this hogwash got printed.
  Williamson's post on X, which quote-posts Dilanian's announcement of the report. He writes that he received the allegation on "Tuesday" (December 2, 2025, according to the complaint), checked with "everyone involved" and found no corroboration or record, and gives his account of the reporter's reply to his request for a date or other detail. His description of what Wilkins, Patel and the detail told him is his own account. The reply he quotes differs in wording from the text exchange the complaint prints. The post had more than 748,000 views when we checked on October 5, 2026.
  Ben Williamson on X, December 5, 2025: "1,000% false and did not happen" · Ben WilliamsonPost, 7:43 AM EST, quote-posting Dilanian's announcement
  [04]Complaint, Wilkins v. Versant Media Group, Inc., No. 3:26-cv-00725 (M.D. Tenn.), filed May 29, 2026 (Doc. 1)
  Source excerpt
  This is entirely false. Director Patel has never ordered any FBI agent or member of Ms. Wilkins’ security detail to escort any of Ms. Wilkins’ friends home—inebriated or otherwise—nor did Ms. Wilkins ask any of them to do so.
  Wilkins's complaint against Versant Media Group, Inc. d/b/a MS NOW, Carol Leonnig and Ken Dilanian, with claims of defamation (including defamation per se) and false light invasion of privacy, seeking compensatory, special and punitive damages above $75,000 and a jury trial. It is a pleading signed by lawyers, so its statements are allegations and not sworn testimony. Its only attachment is a civil cover sheet. Paragraph 16 prints a text exchange between Williamson and Dilanian that we have not seen from any other source.
  Complaint, Wilkins v. Versant Media Group, Inc., No. 3:26-cv-00725 (M.D. Tenn.), filed May 29, 2026 (Doc. 1)Page 3, paragraph 12; also paragraphs 1, 11, 13 to 19, 22, 31, 37 and 42
2. December 5, 2025
  MS NOW publishes its report on the reported order
  Claim
  At 10:00 UTC (5:00 AM EST) MS NOW published the article by Carol Leonnig and Ken Dilanian, which says three people with knowledge told MS NOW that Patel ordered the detail protecting Wilkins to escort one of her friends home on more than one occasion. It quotes FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson as saying "This is made up and did not happen." Dilanian announced the report on X at 12:17 UTC.
  [05]MS NOW: Kash Patel ordered FBI detail to give girlfriend's pal a lift home: sources (Carol Leonnig and Ken Dilanian), December 5, 2025
  Source excerpt
  FBI Director Kash Patel has — on more than one occasion — ordered that the security detail protecting his girlfriend escort one of her allegedly inebriated friends home after a night of partying in Nashville, according to three people with knowledge of the incidents.
  MS NOW's report by Carol Leonnig and Ken Dilanian. It attributes the account to three unnamed people with knowledge, who it says were "granted anonymity to discuss nonpublic matters". It gives no date for the incidents beyond "this spring", no name for the friend and no description of the sources. It quotes FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson, and one sentence introducing his quotation was changed on December 5, 2025 (see the two archived captures). The text we cite is the live version, and we found no correction note on it as of October 5, 2026. More than half of the article concerns other criticism of Patel and is not part of this case.
  MS NOW: Kash Patel ordered FBI detail to give girlfriend's pal a lift home: sources (Carol Leonnig and Ken Dilanian), December 5, 2025 · MS NOWParagraphs 1 to 5 (the reported incidents and the FBI's response); page stamped Dec. 5, 2025, 5:00 AM EST, updated 9:23 AM EST
  [06]Ken Dilanian on X, December 5, 2025: announcing the MS NOW report
  Source excerpt
  Scoop: FBI Director Kash Patel has ordered that the security detail protecting his girlfriend escort one of her allegedly inebriated friends home after a night of partying in Nashville, per to three people with knowledge.
  Dilanian's post on X announcing the article. It repeats the article's account and attributes it to three people with knowledge. The post had more than 2.7 million views when we checked on October 5, 2026. The typo "per to" is in the original.
  Ken Dilanian on X, December 5, 2025: announcing the MS NOW report · Ken DilanianPost, 7:17 AM EST, with a link to the article and a tag for Carol Leonnig
3. December 5, 2025
  Williamson posts on X that the report is "1,000% false"
  Reaction
  In a post on X that quote-posts Dilanian's announcement, FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson wrote that the report was "1,000% false and did not happen." He gave his account of checking with those involved and of the reporter's reply to his request for a date or the friend's name, and wrote that he found no corroboration or record of it.
  [03]Ben Williamson on X, December 5, 2025: "1,000% false and did not happen"
  Source excerpt
  1,000% false and did not happen. And I’d like to give some BTS insight into how this hogwash got printed.
  Williamson's post on X, which quote-posts Dilanian's announcement of the report. He writes that he received the allegation on "Tuesday" (December 2, 2025, according to the complaint), checked with "everyone involved" and found no corroboration or record, and gives his account of the reporter's reply to his request for a date or other detail. His description of what Wilkins, Patel and the detail told him is his own account. The reply he quotes differs in wording from the text exchange the complaint prints. The post had more than 748,000 views when we checked on October 5, 2026.
  Ben Williamson on X, December 5, 2025: "1,000% false and did not happen" · Ben WilliamsonPost, 7:43 AM EST, quote-posting Dilanian's announcement
4. December 5, 2025
  Wilkins responds on X that the report's sources are "the voices in his head"
  Reaction
  Wilkins quote-posted Dilanian's announcement, writing "Ken's 3 sources: the voices in his head." and writing that Dilanian should try "something even remotely believable next time instead of some party girl trope" and calling that trope lame and verifiably false. The post does not say in her words that no order or request took place.
  [07]Alexis Wilkins on X, December 5, 2025: quote-post of Ken Dilanian's announcement
  Source excerpt
  Ken’s 3 sources: the voices in his head. Nice try, Ken. Let’s try something even remotely believable next time instead of some party girl trope that’s lame and verifiably false.
  Wilkins's quote-post of Dilanian's announcement. The post says the three sources are "the voices in his head" and refers to "some party girl trope". It does not itself say, in her words, that no order or request took place. It had about 32,000 views when we checked on October 5, 2026.
  Alexis Wilkins on X, December 5, 2025: quote-post of Ken Dilanian's announcement · Alexis WilkinsQuote-post of Dilanian's announcement, 9:18 AM EST
  [06]Ken Dilanian on X, December 5, 2025: announcing the MS NOW report
  Source excerpt
  Scoop: FBI Director Kash Patel has ordered that the security detail protecting his girlfriend escort one of her allegedly inebriated friends home after a night of partying in Nashville, per to three people with knowledge.
  Dilanian's post on X announcing the article. It repeats the article's account and attributes it to three people with knowledge. The post had more than 2.7 million views when we checked on October 5, 2026. The typo "per to" is in the original.
  Ken Dilanian on X, December 5, 2025: announcing the MS NOW report · Ken DilanianPost, 7:17 AM EST, with a link to the article and a tag for Carol Leonnig
5. December 5, 2025
  Williamson says the article misdescribed his response, and a later capture shows the sentence changed
  Williamson wrote in a reply on X that the article "incorrectly claimed I did not answer questions about the allegations when asked" and that the claim "has since been removed." Internet Archive captures show that the sentence introducing his quotation said at 11:58 UTC that he "did not answer questions about multiple inside accounts of Wilkins' detail being diverted, but broadly denied such events took place," and said at 15:39 UTC that he "broadly disputed that such events took place." We found no correction note on the article as of October 5, 2026.
  [08]Ben Williamson on X, December 5, 2025: the article's description of his response
  Source excerpt
  As an aside, this article also incorrectly claimed I did not answer questions about the allegations when asked - when I did. It has since been removed.
  A reply in Williamson's own thread. Its two screenshots show the article's sentence before and after the change: the earlier version says he "did not answer questions about multiple inside accounts of Wilkins' detail being diverted, but broadly denied such events took place", and the later one says he "broadly disputed that such events took place".
  Ben Williamson on X, December 5, 2025: the article's description of his response · Ben WilliamsonReply in his own thread, 12:45 PM EST, with two screenshots of the article's sentence
  [09]MS NOW article as archived at 11:58 UTC on December 5, 2025 (original wording of the sentence on the FBI's response)
  Source excerpt
  FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson did not answer questions about multiple inside accounts of Wilkins' detail being diverted, but broadly denied such events took place.
  An Internet Archive capture of the MS NOW article taken at 11:58 UTC (6:58 AM EST) on December 5, 2025. It shows the original sentence on the FBI's response. Williamson's own post of 17:45 UTC that day, which carries a screenshot of this wording, says the claim that he did not answer questions was incorrect and "has since been removed". The capture taken at 15:39 UTC shows the revised sentence (see the next source).
  MS NOW article as archived at 11:58 UTC on December 5, 2025 (original wording of the sentence on the FBI's response)Paragraph 4, the sentence introducing Williamson's quotation
  [10]MS NOW article as archived at 15:39 UTC on December 5, 2025 (revised wording of the sentence on the FBI's response)
  Source excerpt
  FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson broadly disputed that such events took place.
  An Internet Archive capture of the MS NOW article taken at 15:39 UTC (10:39 AM EST) on December 5, 2025. It is the earliest capture we read that carries the revised sentence, which is also the wording on the live page. The change falls between this capture and the 11:58 UTC capture. We found no correction note attached to the article in either capture or on the live page.
  MS NOW article as archived at 15:39 UTC on December 5, 2025 (revised wording of the sentence on the FBI's response)Paragraph 4, the sentence introducing Williamson's quotation
85 days between recorded events
February 2026
1 event
1. February 28, 2026
  The New York Times reports, citing an unnamed FBI official, that a full-time SWAT team was assigned after Patel took office
  Claim
  In an article that The Boston Globe republished, The New York Times reported, citing an FBI official briefed on the plans, that Patel "beefed up staffing in Nashville" soon after becoming FBI director and then assigned a SWAT team of four agents and two vehicles to protect Wilkins full-time. It quoted FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson as saying she faced "more than a dozen active death threats." The article also says that "Last April, agents in two SUVs stood guard outside a senior center" in Dixon, Illinois, while Wilkins sang, and it does not say when the full-time assignment began.
  [11]The Boston Globe (copy of a New York Times article by Elizabeth Williamson): Kash Patel's girlfriend seeks fame and fortune, escorted by an FBI SWAT team, February 28, 2026
  Source excerpt
  Soon after becoming FBI director last February, Patel beefed up staffing in Nashville, where Wilkins lives, then assigned a SWAT team composed of four agents and two vehicles to protect her full-time, said an FBI official briefed on the plans.
  A copy of a New York Times article published by The Boston Globe, which says it originally appeared in The Times; we could not open the Times page, so every quotation from it is secondhand. The paragraph cited here rests on an unnamed FBI official and does not say when the full-time assignment began. The article also says that "Last April, agents in two SUVs stood guard outside a senior center" in Dixon, Illinois, while Wilkins sang. The same article quotes FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson as saying Wilkins faces "more than a dozen active death threats". The Times writer, Elizabeth Williamson, is a different person from FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson. The article does not mention the reported ride-home incidents.
  The Boston Globe (copy of a New York Times article by Elizabeth Williamson): Kash Patel's girlfriend seeks fame and fortune, escorted by an FBI SWAT team, February 28, 2026 · The Boston GlobeParagraph beginning "Soon after becoming FBI director last February"
90 days between recorded events
May 2026
1 event
1. May 29, 2026
  Wilkins sues Versant Media Group and two MS NOW reporters for defamation
  Source release
  Wilkins filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee against Versant Media Group, Inc., which does business as MS NOW, Carol Leonnig and Ken Dilanian, pleading defamation and false light invasion of privacy. It says the article's account is "entirely false" and that she "did not have a security detail" in spring 2025. The complaint is a pleading signed by her lawyers.
  [04]Complaint, Wilkins v. Versant Media Group, Inc., No. 3:26-cv-00725 (M.D. Tenn.), filed May 29, 2026 (Doc. 1)
  Source excerpt
  This is entirely false. Director Patel has never ordered any FBI agent or member of Ms. Wilkins’ security detail to escort any of Ms. Wilkins’ friends home—inebriated or otherwise—nor did Ms. Wilkins ask any of them to do so.
  Wilkins's complaint against Versant Media Group, Inc. d/b/a MS NOW, Carol Leonnig and Ken Dilanian, with claims of defamation (including defamation per se) and false light invasion of privacy, seeking compensatory, special and punitive damages above $75,000 and a jury trial. It is a pleading signed by lawyers, so its statements are allegations and not sworn testimony. Its only attachment is a civil cover sheet. Paragraph 16 prints a text exchange between Williamson and Dilanian that we have not seen from any other source.
  Complaint, Wilkins v. Versant Media Group, Inc., No. 3:26-cv-00725 (M.D. Tenn.), filed May 29, 2026 (Doc. 1)Page 3, paragraph 12; also paragraphs 1, 11, 13 to 19, 22, 31, 37 and 42
  [12]CourtListener docket, Wilkins v. Versant Media Group, Inc., No. 3:26-cv-00725 (M.D. Tenn.)
  Source excerpt
  Date Filed: May 29, 2026 Date of Last Known Filing: Sept. 15, 2026
  The public docket of the case as mirrored by CourtListener, which says its listings may not be current. As of October 5, 2026, its newest entry is dated September 15, 2026 and it lists no ruling on the defendants' motion to dismiss or transfer. The page does not include the exhibits to the defendants' motion, such as the declaration of a Versant officer.
  CourtListener docket, Wilkins v. Versant Media Group, Inc., No. 3:26-cv-00725 (M.D. Tenn.)Docket entries 1 to 34; last updated Sept. 15, 2026, 11:21 a.m. as displayed by CourtListener
June 2026
1 event
1. June 1, 2026
  MS NOW's president says the network stands behind its reporting
  Reaction
  In response to a request for comment from NBC News about the suit, MS NOW President Rebecca Kutler said "We stand firmly behind MS NOW's reporting. As a general matter of practice, we don't comment on ongoing legal matters." MS NOW's own article on the suit printed the same statement.
  [13]NBC News: FBI director's girlfriend sues MS NOW, accuses cable network of 'false portrayal' (Gary Grumbach), June 1, 2026
  Source excerpt
  We stand firmly behind MS NOW’s reporting. As a general matter of practice, we don’t comment on ongoing legal matters.
  NBC News's report on the filing of the lawsuit. It says MS NOW President Rebecca Kutler gave the statement quoted here in response to a request for comment, and it quotes passages of the complaint.
  NBC News: FBI director's girlfriend sues MS NOW, accuses cable network of 'false portrayal' (Gary Grumbach), June 1, 2026 · NBC NewsParagraph on MS NOW's response; page stamped June 1, 2026, 3:12 PM EDT
  [14]MS NOW Deadline: Legal Blog: FBI Director Kash Patel's girlfriend sues MS NOW over reporting on his use of resources (Jordan Rubin), June 1, 2026
  Source excerpt
  We stand firmly behind MS NOW’s reporting. As a general matter of practice, we don’t comment on ongoing legal matters.
  MS NOW's own article on the lawsuit, which prints the same statement from its president. It also describes the complaint's allegations.
  MS NOW Deadline: Legal Blog: FBI Director Kash Patel's girlfriend sues MS NOW over reporting on his use of resources (Jordan Rubin), June 1, 2026 · MS NOWParagraph on MS NOW's statement; page stamped June 1, 2026, 3:23 PM EDT
71 days between recorded events
August 2026
4 events
1. August 11, 2026
  Defendants move to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction or transfer the case
  Source release
  Versant Media Group, Carol Leonnig and Ken Dilanian moved to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction or to transfer the case to the District of Columbia and, in the alternative, to dismiss the claims because the article is not defamatory of Wilkins. A footnote says other reporting states she "had FBI protection by the spring of 2025" and calls the timing irrelevant to the motion. Leonnig and Dilanian each filed a declaration about where they live and worked; neither addresses the sources or the reported incidents. As of October 5, 2026, the CourtListener copy of the docket, last updated September 15, 2026, lists no ruling.
  [15]Memorandum in support of Defendants' motion to dismiss or transfer, Wilkins v. Versant Media Group (Doc. 23-1), August 11, 2026
  Source excerpt
  Reporting on her request to the FBI, even if she did not actually make the request, is simply not the kind of thing that would subject Wilkins to “hatred, contempt, or ridicule.”
  The defendants' memorandum arguing that the court lacks personal jurisdiction, that the case should move to the District of Columbia, and that the article is not defamatory of Wilkins. It does not say whether the reported incidents occurred. Footnote 1 says other reporting states Wilkins had FBI protection by the spring of 2025 and cites a New York Times article of November 23, 2025, while calling the timing irrelevant to the motion. Page 14 says the defendants expect to invoke the District of Columbia's reporter's privilege.
  Memorandum in support of Defendants' motion to dismiss or transfer, Wilkins v. Versant Media Group (Doc. 23-1), August 11, 2026Page 19 (the conditional sentence); page 3, footnote 1 (the detail's timing); page 2; page 14
  [16]Declaration of Carol Leonnig, Wilkins v. Versant Media Group (Doc. 23-5), August 11, 2026
  Source excerpt
  I conducted all of my work for the Article from the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
  A sworn declaration filed with the motion to dismiss or transfer. It says where Leonnig is based and where she worked on the article, and that she has never lived in Tennessee and did not travel there in connection with the article. It says nothing about the sources, the detail or the reported incidents. The filed PDF is a scanned image with no text layer.
  Declaration of Carol Leonnig, Wilkins v. Versant Media Group (Doc. 23-5), August 11, 2026 · Carol LeonnigParagraphs 2 to 5 (one page)
  [17]Declaration of Ken Dilanian, Wilkins v. Versant Media Group (Doc. 23-7), August 11, 2026
  Source excerpt
  I have never lived in the state of Tennessee, did not travel to Tennessee in connection with the Article, and do not own any property there.
  A sworn declaration filed with the motion to dismiss or transfer. It says where Dilanian is based and where he worked on the article, and that he has never lived in Tennessee and did not travel there in connection with the article. It says nothing about the sources, the detail or the reported incidents. The filed PDF is a scanned image with no text layer.
  Declaration of Ken Dilanian, Wilkins v. Versant Media Group (Doc. 23-7), August 11, 2026 · Ken DilanianParagraphs 2 to 5 (two pages)
  [12]CourtListener docket, Wilkins v. Versant Media Group, Inc., No. 3:26-cv-00725 (M.D. Tenn.)
  Source excerpt
  Date Filed: May 29, 2026 Date of Last Known Filing: Sept. 15, 2026
  The public docket of the case as mirrored by CourtListener, which says its listings may not be current. As of October 5, 2026, its newest entry is dated September 15, 2026 and it lists no ruling on the defendants' motion to dismiss or transfer. The page does not include the exhibits to the defendants' motion, such as the declaration of a Versant officer.
  CourtListener docket, Wilkins v. Versant Media Group, Inc., No. 3:26-cv-00725 (M.D. Tenn.)Docket entries 1 to 34; last updated Sept. 15, 2026, 11:21 a.m. as displayed by CourtListener
2. August 13, 2026
  Defendants say they expect to invoke a reporter's privilege if the case proceeds
  Claim
  In a motion to stay discovery, Versant Media Group, Carol Leonnig and Ken Dilanian wrote that, if the case proceeds, they expect to invoke the reporter's privilege to protect the identity of sources who were granted anonymity in the article. As of October 5, 2026, we did not find a filing in which they have invoked it.
  [18]Defendants' motion to stay discovery, Wilkins v. Versant Media Group (Doc. 24), August 13, 2026
  Source excerpt
  Defendants expect to invoke the reporter’s privilege to protect the identity of sources who have been “granted anonymity to discuss nonpublic matters” as described in the Article.
  The defendants' motion to stay discovery while their motion to dismiss or transfer is pending. It says discovery will raise First Amendment concerns about newsgathering and sources and would involve third-party discovery from FBI Director Kash Patel and the FBI. The court denied the motion on August 21, 2026 (Doc. 29).
  Defendants' motion to stay discovery, Wilkins v. Versant Media Group (Doc. 24), August 13, 2026Page 7
3. August 21, 2026
  Magistrate judge denies a stay of discovery
  Magistrate Judge Luke A. Evans denied the defendants' motion to stay discovery, finding they had not shown good cause and writing that "this case will proceed somewhere." The defendants had said they expect to invoke a reporter's privilege to protect the identity of their sources. The order says the court will not address the merits of the motion to dismiss or transfer.
  [19]Order denying stay of discovery, Wilkins v. Versant Media Group (Doc. 29), August 21, 2026
  Source excerpt
  Regardless of how Judge Richardson rules on the motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction, this case will proceed somewhere.
  The magistrate judge's order finding the defendants had not shown good cause to stay discovery. The order restates the complaint's allegation as the plaintiff's allegation and says the court will not address the merits of the motion to dismiss or transfer. It makes no finding on whether the reported incidents occurred.
  Order denying stay of discovery, Wilkins v. Versant Media Group (Doc. 29), August 21, 2026Page 3
  [18]Defendants' motion to stay discovery, Wilkins v. Versant Media Group (Doc. 24), August 13, 2026
  Source excerpt
  Defendants expect to invoke the reporter’s privilege to protect the identity of sources who have been “granted anonymity to discuss nonpublic matters” as described in the Article.
  The defendants' motion to stay discovery while their motion to dismiss or transfer is pending. It says discovery will raise First Amendment concerns about newsgathering and sources and would involve third-party discovery from FBI Director Kash Patel and the FBI. The court denied the motion on August 21, 2026 (Doc. 29).
  Defendants' motion to stay discovery, Wilkins v. Versant Media Group (Doc. 24), August 13, 2026Page 7
4. August 25, 2026
  Wilkins's opposition brief says the FBI assigned the detail in late 2025
  Claim
  In her opposition to the motion to dismiss or transfer, Wilkins's lawyers wrote that "In late 2025" the FBI assigned a security detail to protect her, and repeated that she did not have one in spring 2025. The brief attaches no declaration or document on when the detail began.
  [20]Plaintiff's opposition to the motion to dismiss or transfer, Wilkins v. Versant Media Group (Doc. 30), August 25, 2026
  Source excerpt
  In late 2025, due to credible death threats fueled by the very kinds of lies Defendants spread, the FBI assigned a security detail to protect Ms. Wilkins.
  Wilkins's opposition brief. It repeats that the events in the article never happened and that she had no security detail in spring 2025, and says the FBI assigned the detail in late 2025. It attaches no declaration or document on when the detail began. We did not find in it a response to the defendants' footnote citing the New York Times.
  Plaintiff's opposition to the motion to dismiss or transfer, Wilkins v. Versant Media Group (Doc. 30), August 25, 2026Page 2
20 days between recorded events
September 2026
2 events
1. September 14, 2026
  Initial case management order sets the discovery schedule
  Magistrate Judge Evans's initial case management order sets initial disclosures for October 15, 2026, written discovery requests by December 1, 2026 and the close of fact discovery on June 4, 2027, and lists no issues as resolved. It records the defendants' statement that they reported the article "in good faith, believing everything in it was accurate" and Wilkins's contention that the defendants made knowingly or recklessly false statements about her.
  [21]Initial case management order, Wilkins v. Versant Media Group (Doc. 33), September 14, 2026
  Source excerpt
  Defendants thoroughly and responsibly reported the article and wrote it in good faith, believing everything in it was accurate.
  The order sets the schedule: initial disclosures by October 15, 2026, written discovery requests by December 1, 2026, and fact discovery by June 4, 2027. It records each side's brief theory of the case in the parties' own words and lists no issues as resolved. Discovery is not stayed during pending motions unless the court orders otherwise.
  Initial case management order, Wilkins v. Versant Media Group (Doc. 33), September 14, 2026Pages 1 to 3, sections A to G
2. September 15, 2026
  Court sets a jury trial for May 16, 2028
  Judge Eli J. Richardson's order sets a jury trial for May 16, 2028, with a pretrial conference on May 8, 2028. As of October 5, 2026, the CourtListener copy of the docket, last updated September 15, 2026, lists no ruling on the defendants' motion to dismiss or transfer.
  [22]Order setting case for trial, Wilkins v. Versant Media Group (Doc. 34), September 15, 2026
  Source excerpt
  The jury trial in this case is scheduled for a jury trial on May 16, 2028, beginning at 9:00 a.m.
  The district judge's order setting a jury trial for May 16, 2028, with a pretrial conference on May 8, 2028. It does not rule on the defendants' pending motion.
  Order setting case for trial, Wilkins v. Versant Media Group (Doc. 34), September 15, 2026Page 1
  [12]CourtListener docket, Wilkins v. Versant Media Group, Inc., No. 3:26-cv-00725 (M.D. Tenn.)
  Source excerpt
  Date Filed: May 29, 2026 Date of Last Known Filing: Sept. 15, 2026
  The public docket of the case as mirrored by CourtListener, which says its listings may not be current. As of October 5, 2026, its newest entry is dated September 15, 2026 and it lists no ruling on the defendants' motion to dismiss or transfer. The page does not include the exhibits to the defendants' motion, such as the declaration of a Versant officer.
  CourtListener docket, Wilkins v. Versant Media Group, Inc., No. 3:26-cv-00725 (M.D. Tenn.)Docket entries 1 to 34; last updated Sept. 15, 2026, 11:21 a.m. as displayed by CourtListener
19 days between recorded events
October 2026
1 event
1. October 4, 2026
  Kash Patel and Alexis Wilkins announce their engagement
  The Associated Press reported that FBI Director Kash Patel and Alexis Wilkins announced their engagement in a post on X on the evening of October 4, 2026. The AP said the two have been dating since before Patel became FBI director in 2025.
  [23]Associated Press: FBI Director Kash Patel gets engaged to longtime girlfriend, country singer Alexis Wilkins
  Source excerpt
  FBI Director Kash Patel is engaged to his country singer girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins, the pair announced in a post to X on Sunday evening.
  Associated Press report, published by ABC News on October 4, 2026, on Patel and Wilkins announcing their engagement on X.
  Associated Press: FBI Director Kash Patel gets engaged to longtime girlfriend, country singer Alexis WilkinsOpening paragraphs.

Claims

Claims separate what was said from what is contested. Follow each source for the original wording and context.

What was said

Attributed statement

Ben Williamson wrote on X on December 5, 2025 that when he asked MS NOW's reporter for a date, the friend's name or anything else to support the report, the reporter replied "We do not have that info but are comfortable with our sourcing." The complaint prints a different wording of the reply.

Ben WilliamsonDecember 5, 2025

Sources (2)

Ben Williamson on X, December 5, 2025: "1,000% false and did not happen" · Ben WilliamsonPost, 7:43 AM EST, quote-posting Dilanian's announcement
Complaint, Wilkins v. Versant Media Group, Inc., No. 3:26-cv-00725 (M.D. Tenn.), filed May 29, 2026 (Doc. 1)Page 3, paragraph 12; also paragraphs 1, 11, 13 to 19, 22, 31, 37 and 42

Attributed statement

A footnote in the defendants' memorandum says other reporting states Wilkins had FBI protection by the spring of 2025, citing a New York Times article of November 23, 2025.

Versant Media GroupAugust 11, 2026

Sources (2)

Memorandum in support of Defendants' motion to dismiss or transfer, Wilkins v. Versant Media Group (Doc. 23-1), August 11, 2026Page 19 (the conditional sentence); page 3, footnote 1 (the detail's timing); page 2; page 14
The Boston Globe (copy of a New York Times article by Alan Feuer, Adam Goldman and Glenn Thrush): FBI Director Kash Patel under scrutiny for use of SWAT teams to protect his girlfriend, November 23, 2025 · The Boston GlobeOpening paragraphs and the paragraph on SWAT resources "diverted" in recent months

3 responses on this page

Alexis WilkinsPlaintiff, through her lawyers, in a complaint filed in federal court in NashvilleDirectly involvedMay 29, 2026
"This is entirely false. Director Patel has never ordered any FBI agent or member of Ms. Wilkins’ security detail to escort any of Ms. Wilkins’ friends home—inebriated or otherwise—nor did Ms. Wilkins ask any of them to do so. … No FBI agents have ever escorted any of Ms. Wilkins’ friends home. … Notably, Ms. Wilkins did not have a security detail at that time."
Denied
Responding to: Wilkins's complaint says Kash Patel never ordered any FBI agent or member of her security detail to escort any of her friends home and that she did not ask any of them to do so, and adds that no FBI agents have ever escorted any of her friends home.
Read more
In paragraph 12 of the complaint filed on May 29, 2026 through her lawyers, Alexis Wilkins says the article's account is "entirely false", that Patel has never ordered any agent or member of her security detail to escort her friends home and that she did not ask any of them to do so. The complaint also says no FBI agents have ever escorted any of her friends home and, in paragraph 13, that she "did not have a security detail at that time", meaning spring 2025. It is a pleading signed by her lawyers, not sworn testimony.
Before the statement
MS NOW had reported the account on December 5, 2025, and Williamson had said on X that the reported events did not happen. The complaint reads the article's "this spring" as spring 2025.
After the statement
MS NOW President Rebecca Kutler said on June 1, 2026 that the network stands behind its reporting. The defendants moved on August 11 to dismiss or transfer the case, and as of October 5, 2026 the CourtListener copy of the docket, last updated September 15, 2026, lists no ruling on that motion.
Complaint, Wilkins v. Versant Media Group, Inc., No. 3:26-cv-00725 (M.D. Tenn.), filed May 29, 2026 (Doc. 1)Page 3, paragraph 12; also paragraphs 1, 11, 13 to 19, 22, 31, 37 and 42
Plaintiff's opposition to the motion to dismiss or transfer, Wilkins v. Versant Media Group (Doc. 30), August 25, 2026Page 2
CourtListener docket, Wilkins v. Versant Media Group, Inc., No. 3:26-cv-00725 (M.D. Tenn.)Docket entries 1 to 34; last updated Sept. 15, 2026, 11:21 a.m. as displayed by CourtListener
Why this label?
The reference point is the proposition that, on at least one occasion, FBI Director Kash Patel ordered the FBI agents assigned to protect Alexis Wilkins to escort or drive a friend of hers home, as MS NOW reported on December 5, 2025. The complaint says Patel "has never ordered" any agent to escort her friends home and that she did not ask any of them to do so, an explicit statement that the reported conduct did not occur, so we used Denied. The closest competing label is Challenged the characterization. It loses because the complaint goes beyond disputing a description and says the order and the request did not happen. We attribute the statement to Wilkins as a filing made through her lawyers.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Read statement Link to this statement
Ben WilliamsonFBI Assistant Director for Public Affairs, on his X accountDecember 5, 2025
"1,000% false and did not happen. And I’d like to give some BTS insight into how this hogwash got printed. … all of whom said it didn’t happen. Couldn’t find any corroboration or record of it whatsoever. … I went back to the reporter and said “everyone involved says this is false - can you give me any other info so I can provide some proof beyond just a denial? A date? Name of the friend? Anything.” Their response was: “We do not have that info but are comfortable with our sourcing.”"
Denied
Responding to: FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson told MS NOW "This is made up and did not happen," and wrote on X on December 5, 2025 that those involved told him it did not happen and that he found no corroboration or record of it.
Read more
In a post on X at 7:43 AM EST on December 5, 2025, FBI Assistant Director for Public Affairs Ben Williamson wrote that the MS NOW report was "1,000% false and did not happen." He wrote that he checked with those involved, who all said it did not happen, and that he found no corroboration or record of it. He also gave his account of the reporter's reply to his request for a date or the friend's name. He did not name the friend.
Before the statement
MS NOW had published the report at 10:00 UTC, and Dilanian announced it on X at 12:17 UTC. Williamson's post quote-posts that announcement. The quotation omits a parenthetical remark about Wilkins's drinking that appears in the post's second paragraph; the omission is marked by an ellipsis.
After the statement
Wilkins replied on X at 14:18 UTC. Williamson wrote at 17:45 UTC that the article's claim that he did not answer questions had been removed. As of October 5, 2026, we did not find a public response from MS NOW, Dilanian or Leonnig to his account of the reporter's reply.
Ben Williamson on X, December 5, 2025: "1,000% false and did not happen" · Ben WilliamsonPost, 7:43 AM EST, quote-posting Dilanian's announcement
Ben Williamson on X, December 5, 2025: the article's description of his response · Ben WilliamsonReply in his own thread, 12:45 PM EST, with two screenshots of the article's sentence
Why this label?
The reference point is the proposition that, on at least one occasion, FBI Director Kash Patel ordered the FBI agents assigned to protect Alexis Wilkins to escort or drive a friend of hers home, as MS NOW reported on December 5, 2025. Williamson says the report is "1,000% false and did not happen", so we used Denied. The closest competing label is Challenged the characterization, because the post also criticizes how the report was sourced. It loses because the post's central statement is that the events did not occur, which goes beyond a criticism of the reporting or its description. His account of what others told him is his own.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Read statement Link to this statement
Ben WilliamsonFBI spokesperson, in a statement quoted by MS NOWDecember 5, 2025
"This is made up and did not happen"
Denied
Responding to: FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson told MS NOW "This is made up and did not happen," and wrote on X on December 5, 2025 that those involved told him it did not happen and that he found no corroboration or record of it.
Read more
In MS NOW's December 5, 2025 article, FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson responded to the reported incidents by saying "This is made up and did not happen". The article introduces the quotation by saying he broadly disputed that such events took place. The first version of the article said he did not answer questions about the accounts but broadly denied that the events took place.
Before the statement
Williamson's later post on X says he received the allegation on "Tuesday" and told the reporter it sounded made up, and the complaint dates the reporter's approach to December 2, 2025. The article had reported that three unnamed people with knowledge said Patel ordered the detail to escort a friend of Wilkins home.
After the statement
Williamson posted a longer denial on X at 12:43 UTC the same day and wrote in a reply at 17:45 UTC that the article's earlier claim that he did not answer questions was incorrect. The sentence introducing his quotation had changed by 15:39 UTC. As of October 5, 2026, we did not find a correction note on the article.
MS NOW: Kash Patel ordered FBI detail to give girlfriend's pal a lift home: sources (Carol Leonnig and Ken Dilanian), December 5, 2025 · MS NOWParagraphs 1 to 5 (the reported incidents and the FBI's response); page stamped Dec. 5, 2025, 5:00 AM EST, updated 9:23 AM EST
MS NOW article as archived at 11:58 UTC on December 5, 2025 (original wording of the sentence on the FBI's response)Paragraph 4, the sentence introducing Williamson's quotation
MS NOW article as archived at 15:39 UTC on December 5, 2025 (revised wording of the sentence on the FBI's response)Paragraph 4, the sentence introducing Williamson's quotation
Why this label?
The reference point is the proposition that, on at least one occasion, FBI Director Kash Patel ordered the FBI agents assigned to protect Alexis Wilkins to escort or drive a friend of hers home, as MS NOW reported on December 5, 2025. Williamson says the reported events "did not happen", which is an explicit statement that the reported conduct did not occur, so we used Denied. The closest competing label is Challenged the characterization. It loses because he does not dispute a description or the reporting's framing in this line; he says the events did not occur.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Read statement Link to this statement

Sources

(23)

Reporting

MS NOW: Kash Patel ordered FBI detail to give girlfriend's pal a lift home: sources (Carol Leonnig and Ken Dilanian), December 5, 2025

MS NOW: Kash Patel ordered FBI detail to give girlfriend's pal a lift home: sources (Carol Leonnig and Ken Dilanian), December 5, 2025 · MS NOWParagraphs 1 to 5 (the reported incidents and the FBI's response); page stamped Dec. 5, 2025, 5:00 AM EST, updated 9:23 AM EST

Overview

People in this case

Follow the Did FBI Director Kash Patel order the security detail protecting Alexis Wilkins to drive a friend home, as MS NOW reported? dispute

Timeline

MS NOW reports that Alexis Wilkins has an FBI security detail

The New York Times reports SWAT agents protected Wilkins at a spring event, citing anonymous sources

MS NOW's reporter puts the allegation to the FBI spokesperson

MS NOW publishes its report on the reported order

Williamson posts on X that the report is "1,000% false"

Wilkins responds on X that the report's sources are "the voices in his head"

Williamson says the article misdescribed his response, and a later capture shows the sentence changed

The New York Times reports, citing an unnamed FBI official, that a full-time SWAT team was assigned after Patel took office

Wilkins sues Versant Media Group and two MS NOW reporters for defamation

MS NOW's president says the network stands behind its reporting

Defendants move to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction or transfer the case

Defendants say they expect to invoke a reporter's privilege if the case proceeds

Magistrate judge denies a stay of discovery

Wilkins's opposition brief says the FBI assigned the detail in late 2025

Initial case management order sets the discovery schedule

Court sets a jury trial for May 16, 2028

Kash Patel and Alexis Wilkins announce their engagement

Claims

What was said

Ben Williamson wrote on X on December 5, 2025 that when he asked MS NOW's reporter for a date, the friend's name or anything else to support the report, the reporter replied "We do not have that info but are comfortable with our sourcing." The complaint prints a different wording of the reply.

A footnote in the defendants' memorandum says other reporting states Wilkins had FBI protection by the spring of 2025, citing a New York Times article of November 23, 2025.

What's disputed

FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson told MS NOW "This is made up and did not happen," and wrote on X on December 5, 2025 that those involved told him it did not happen and that he found no corroboration or record of it.

Wilkins's complaint says Kash Patel never ordered any FBI agent or member of her security detail to escort any of her friends home and that she did not ask any of them to do so, and adds that no FBI agents have ever escorted any of her friends home.

Wilkins's complaint says she did not have a security detail in spring 2025, which it reads as the time of the article's account, and that she had been recently assigned one by November 17, 2025; her opposition brief says the FBI assigned one "In late 2025."

Sources

MS NOW: Kash Patel ordered FBI detail to give girlfriend's pal a lift home: sources (Carol Leonnig and Ken Dilanian), December 5, 2025

Associated Press: FBI Director Kash Patel gets engaged to longtime girlfriend, country singer Alexis Wilkins

The Boston Globe (copy of a New York Times article by Elizabeth Williamson): Kash Patel's girlfriend seeks fame and fortune, escorted by an FBI SWAT team, February 28, 2026

The Boston Globe (copy of a New York Times article by Alan Feuer, Adam Goldman and Glenn Thrush): FBI Director Kash Patel under scrutiny for use of SWAT teams to protect his girlfriend, November 23, 2025

MS NOW Deadline: Legal Blog: FBI Director Kash Patel's girlfriend sues MS NOW over reporting on his use of resources (Jordan Rubin), June 1, 2026

NBC News: FBI director's girlfriend sues MS NOW, accuses cable network of 'false portrayal' (Gary Grumbach), June 1, 2026

Declaration of Ken Dilanian, Wilkins v. Versant Media Group (Doc. 23-7), August 11, 2026

Declaration of Carol Leonnig, Wilkins v. Versant Media Group (Doc. 23-5), August 11, 2026

Order setting case for trial, Wilkins v. Versant Media Group (Doc. 34), September 15, 2026

Initial case management order, Wilkins v. Versant Media Group (Doc. 33), September 14, 2026

Plaintiff's opposition to the motion to dismiss or transfer, Wilkins v. Versant Media Group (Doc. 30), August 25, 2026

Order denying stay of discovery, Wilkins v. Versant Media Group (Doc. 29), August 21, 2026

Defendants' motion to stay discovery, Wilkins v. Versant Media Group (Doc. 24), August 13, 2026

Memorandum in support of Defendants' motion to dismiss or transfer, Wilkins v. Versant Media Group (Doc. 23-1), August 11, 2026

CourtListener docket, Wilkins v. Versant Media Group, Inc., No. 3:26-cv-00725 (M.D. Tenn.)

Complaint, Wilkins v. Versant Media Group, Inc., No. 3:26-cv-00725 (M.D. Tenn.), filed May 29, 2026 (Doc. 1)

Alexis Wilkins on X, December 5, 2025: quote-post of Ken Dilanian's announcement

Ben Williamson on X, December 5, 2025: the article's description of his response

Ben Williamson on X, December 5, 2025: "1,000% false and did not happen"

Ken Dilanian on X, December 5, 2025: announcing the MS NOW report

MS NOW: Kash Patel's girlfriend being protected by FBI SWAT agents as security perk (Ken Dilanian and Carol Leonnig), November 17, 2025

MS NOW article as archived at 15:39 UTC on December 5, 2025 (revised wording of the sentence on the FBI's response)

MS NOW article as archived at 11:58 UTC on December 5, 2025 (original wording of the sentence on the FBI's response)

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