Ted DiBiase Sr. Sues Auditor for Defamation Over Book

Former WWE wrestler Ted DiBiase Sr., known as the "Million Dollar Man," has filed a defamation lawsuit against Mississippi State Auditor Shad White, accusing him of falsely portraying DiBiase's involvement in a major welfare fraud scandal. The suit, lodged in Hinds County Circuit Court in August 2025 and served on White on November 19, seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages along with a court order to halt sales and distribution of White's 2024 book, "Mississippi Swindle: Brett Favre and the Welfare Scandal that Shocked America."

DiBiase alleges that the book wrongly depicts him as culpable in the misuse of federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds, a claim he denies outright. No court has found him liable in connection with the scandal, according to the lawsuit. DiBiase, suing White in his personal capacity, contends that the auditor used his position to advance personal and political interests by linking him to the fraud. The allegations, DiBiase argues, damaged his reputation and contributed to the January 2025 closure of his nonprofit, Heart of David Ministries. That organization faced a separate civil suit from the Mississippi Department of...