Is romance dead? Call me old-fashioned, but I feel the dating scene has changed a bit since my day. Roses and chocolates have been replaced by emoji-laden texts and Tinder swipes. But for those sentimentalists who say romance is still alive and well, let’s take a look at some headlines.
From Texas, Brandon Vezmar recently sued his date for texting during a movie. After Vezmar repeatedly complained about her phone usage, Crystal Cruz simply walked out of the movie and left him to finish Guardians of the Galaxy 2 by himself. He sought damages to the tune of $17.31, the price of the movie ticket. Now, that may seem petty to you or me, but to Vezmar it was a “threat to civilized society” (seriously, his words).
Next, we have a Tinder-nightmare-turned-lawsuit out of Canada. Emily Mackinnon allegedly broke a verbal contract with her law student date when she decided call off a date because of the gentleman’s overwhelming stench. After being served with papers, Mackinnon—a TikTok influencer—took to social media to shred her reeking Romeo, only to be again served with a cease-and-desist notice. But don’t worry, it didn’t stop her from roasting her stinky suitor even further.
Lastly, we ask if it’s not always a bad thing to involve the courts in a breakup. Keith King successfully sued the man who wrecked his marriage under the common law claims of criminal conversion (a.k.a. adultery) and alienation of affection (a.k.a. marital fracture). These causes of action are only available in a handful of states, but if you are lucky enough to be in North Carolina when your marriage falls apart, you can be awarded compensation for it. Maybe our $17.31 movie ticket suit seems a bit trifling, but King’s award? $8.8 million. Sometimes suing your ex can be about a bit more than the principle of the thing.
Facepalm achieved.