The Teen Who Sued The Media After His Mullet Haircut Became A Meme Has Reached Two Settlements

The Sydney teenager who sued the media after his mullet haircut went viral has reached confidential settlements with two of the outlets he said defamed him with their coverage of his striking 'do.

But the long-running legal battle isn't over yet, with a final defamation lawsuit against News Corp publisher Nationwide News set to go to trial next year.

In 2015 Ali "Ziggy" Mosslmani was captured by photographer Jeremy Nool sporting a notable mullet as he danced with a woman at an 18th birthday party in Hurstville.

The picture went viral, with Mosslmani's hair inspiring a series of memes that referenced works of art, animals and even the Pythagorean Theorem.

After the meme was covered in the media, Mosslmani launched defamation action against the Daily Mail, the Australian Radio Network, and Nationwide News, the publisher of Sydney newspaper The Daily Telegraph.

He argued the outlets had defamed him by suggesting he is a "ridiculous person" because of his chosen hairstyle.

On Friday morning District Court judge Judith Gibson approved a settlement between Mosslmani and the Australian Radio Network (ARN). The terms of the settlement are confidential.

Gibson told Mosslmani's barrister Roger Rasmussen and ARN lawyer Courtney Scallan she was "very glad to see the back of that jury trial".

"The only person more keen for these proceedings to settle than your opponent is probably me," she said to Rasmussen. "I'm very sympathetic to any attempt to get this out of the court list."

Outside court Rasmussen told BuzzFeed News the parties were "happy" with the settlement.

Mosslmani has also negotiated a confidential settlement with The Daily Mail.

A trial in his case against Nationwide News has been set down for April 2019, more than three and a half years after Mosslmani's hair went viral.

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