Lisa Durden — Defamation of Joe McCann
In June 2026, media personality Lisa Durden published false statements on social media asserting that Joe McCann abused and murdered Ashly Robinson. On July 1, 2026, Joe’s counsel sent Ms. Durden a cease and desist letter. On July 24, 2026, Ms. Durden published a complete and unequivocal retraction and public apology.
Timeline
June 19, 2026
Lisa Durden publishes false statements on social media asserting that Joe McCann abused and murdered Ashly Robinson.
July 1, 2026
Joe’s counsel, Edward Andrew Paltzik, Esq. of Taylor Dykema PLLC, sends Ms. Durden a cease and desist letter.
July 24, 2026
Ms. Durden publishes her complete and unequivocal retraction and public apology on X, also posting the statement on Instagram.
July 29, 2026
Joe shares Ms. Durden’s apology and retraction on X.
The public apology and retraction
On July 24, 2026, Lisa Durden published the following statement on X and Instagram, reproduced here verbatim:
Recently, I made numerous false statements about Joe McCann and his relationship with Ashly Robinson a/k/a Ashlee Jenae. Among my numerous false statements, I falsely asserted that Joe abused and then murdered Ashly. In truth, Ashly tragically took her own life after a lifelong struggle with her mental health. Also in truth, Joe did not abuse Ashly. As the Zanzibar Police Force concluded—without any doubt and based on incontrovertible evidence—Ashly indeed hung herself while alone in a locked villa at the Zuri Zanzibar Resort on April 8, 2026. I fully accept this undeniable conclusion. I regret my false statements and now offer my complete and unequivocal retraction of my false statements about Joe. While I had no ill-will towards Joe, I’ve learned a great deal from this experience and appreciate Joe’s magnanimous willingness to turn the page. Accordingly, in the spirit of honoring Ashly’s memory, I’m pleased to announce that I will be donating $5,000 to Joe’s charitable Foundation created to honor Ashly’s legacy and prevent others from engaging in self-harm. I strongly support Joe’s mission and congratulate him on channeling his pain into purpose.
The cease and desist letter
The cease and desist letter, dated July 1, 2026, was sent to Ms. Durden by Edward Andrew Paltzik, Esq., Taylor Dykema PLLC, on behalf of Joe McCann. All 9 pages are reproduced below.
Page 1 of 9
Cease and desist letter to Lisa Durden (PDF) →
The posts
- Lisa Durden’s apology on X (July 24, 2026) →
- Lisa Durden’s apology on Instagram →
- Joe McCann’s statement on X (July 29, 2026) →
Common questions
Did Lisa Durden apologize to Joe McCann?
Yes. On July 24, 2026, Lisa Durden published a public apology and complete retraction on X, also posting the statement on Instagram. In it she states that her assertions that Joe McCann abused and murdered Ashly Robinson were false, that Ashly tragically took her own life, and that Joe did not abuse Ashly.
Did Lisa Durden retract her statements about Joe McCann?
Yes. In her July 24, 2026 statement, Ms. Durden wrote: “I regret my false statements and now offer my complete and unequivocal retraction of my false statements about Joe.”
What was the cease and desist letter to Lisa Durden?
On July 1, 2026, Edward Andrew Paltzik, Esq. of Taylor Dykema PLLC sent Ms. Durden a nine-page cease and desist letter on behalf of Joe McCann, addressing her false statements that Joe abused and killed Ashly Robinson and citing the Zanzibar Police Force investigation that concluded — without any doubt — that Ashly died by suicide. The full letter is published on this page.
What happened after Joe McCann sent the cease and desist letter?
Twenty-three days after the July 1, 2026 letter, Ms. Durden published her complete and unequivocal retraction and public apology, in which she also announced a $5,000 donation to Joe’s charitable foundation created to honor Ashly’s legacy.