The recent court ruling has plunged Australian YouTuber Karl Jobst into a significant legal setback against American gaming icon and Donkey Kong record-holder, Billy Mitchell. Reports indicate that during the defamation trial, the judge criticized Jobst for comments made in his video content, ultimately siding with Mitchell.
The dispute traces back to 2020, following Jobst’s video that called into question Mitchell’s Guinness World Records achievements. This prompted a “concerns notice”from Mitchell, triggering a series of legal notifications directed at Jobst over subsequent videos leading up to the defamation case.
Central to the lawsuit was a sensitive topic: the death of fellow YouTuber Apollo Legend in 2020. In a series of videos launched in 2021—which have since been removed—Jobst allegedly connected Legend’s tragic suicide to the legal actions imposed by Mitchell. Earlier that year, Mitchell had won a lawsuit against Apollo Legend, which heightened the sensitivities surrounding the comments made by Jobst.
In the wake of Mitchell’s allegations, which claimed Jobst’s comments were defamatory and implied involvement in Legend’s death, the Donkey Kong champion signaled potential legal action. Jobst, responding to the pressure, amended his content and issued corrections in follow-up videos.
The culmination of this legal battle led to a defamation lawsuit filed in September 2021, with Mitchell seeking $450,000 in damages. The trial took place in September 2024, and the verdict was delivered on March 31, 2025.
Ultimately, the Brisbane District Court ruled in favor of Billy Mitchell, awarding him $350,000 plus an additional $34,668.50 in interest. The judge deemed Jobst’s assertions defamatory, particularly in relation to his claims connecting Mitchell’s actions to Apollo Legend’s suicide. At no point have either party commented publicly on the court’s decision.
Judicial Criticism of Jobst’s Comments
According to reports from the Brisbane Times, Judge Ken Barlowe expressed strong disapproval of Jobst’s behavior during the trial’s conclusions. The judge labeled Jobst’s allegations as “reckless,”asserting that they were grounded in misinformation:
“He was reckless in making the allegations. His assertions were based on a fallacy, that Apollo Legend had paid a large sum of money to Mr. Mitchell. That was simply wrong, and he had no reasonable basis for asserting it.”
Judge Barlowe further criticized Jobst for his persistent uploads on the topic, suggesting that Jobst viewed himself as a champion against Mitchell:
“He seems to see himself as a crusader against Mr. Mitchell—one of the last people sued by Mr. Mitchell and the only one who has not backed down.”
In his final ruling, Judge Barlowe acknowledged the considerable damages faced by Mitchell, which were both professional and personal due to Jobst’s actions:
“I have found that all of this conduct has caused Mr. Mitchell additional personal harm and additional harm to his reputation. It was severely aggravating conduct that merits an award of aggravated damages.”
This decision mandates that Karl Jobst pay approximately $385,000 to Billy Mitchell, solidifying Mitchell’s victory in the high-profile defamation lawsuit.