Can I send a cease and desist letter for defamation?

Yes. A defamation cease and desist letter demands that the false statements stop, be retracted, and not be repeated. It also creates dated notice, which matters if the person continues after being told the statements are false.

What is the difference between libel and slander?

Libel is defamation in a fixed form: posts, reviews, articles, emails. Slander is spoken. Libel is generally easier to prove because the statement itself is preserved.

Is a negative review defamation?

Usually not. A review expressing an opinion about service is protected. A review asserting a false fact, for example that you were convicted of fraud or that a business failed a health inspection it passed, can be defamatory.

Do I have to prove financial loss?

Not for defamation per se categories, where harm is presumed. Otherwise you generally need to show actual damage, so document lost clients, cancelled work, or measurable reputational consequences.

How long do I have to act?

Most states allow one year from publication, some two or three. Because the clock is short and evidence disappears, send the letter as soon as you have the statements documented.

What if the person is anonymous?

Send takedown requests to the platform and preserve everything. Identifying an anonymous poster generally requires a subpoena in litigation, so a letter to the platform plus a preserved record is the practical first step.

Letter type

Defamation cease and desist letter

Stop false statements that are damaging your name or business with a defamation cease and desist letter that identifies each statement, the falsity, and the harm.

For U.S. residentsMade in USALast reviewed: January 2026Reviewed by the StopAndDesist legal content team

Key takeaways

Only false statements of fact are actionable, opinion is not.
Quote each statement exactly, with the date, platform, and audience.
Some categories are defamation per se, where harm is presumed.
Limitation periods are short, often one year, so act quickly.

What counts as defamation

Defamation is a false statement of fact, published to a third party, that causes harm to your reputation. Libel is written or posted; slander is spoken. Honest opinion, however unflattering, is not defamation, and neither is a statement that is substantially true.

Four categories are usually treated as defamation per se, meaning harm is presumed without you proving lost income: allegations of criminal conduct, of a loathsome disease, of professional incompetence or misconduct, and of sexual impropriety.

What the letter must establish

The exact words used, quoted verbatim, with dates and URLs or witnesses
Why each statement is false, not merely unfair or unkind
That the statement was published to at least one third party
The harm caused: lost clients, cancelled contracts, reputational damage
The demand: removal, retraction, and no repetition
A preservation notice covering posts, screenshots, and account records

Gathering evidence before you send

Screenshot every post with the URL and timestamp visible, and archive pages using a web archive service so deletion does not destroy the record. Save reviews, group posts, and messages. Where the statement was spoken, write a contemporaneous note naming who was present and what was said.

Do not respond publicly. A public argument multiplies the audience for the original statement and can generate quotable material that undermines your own claim.

Deadlines and next steps

Most states apply a one-year limitation period for defamation, running from publication, and a handful allow two or three years. Because the window is short, a letter that produces a fast retraction is usually worth more than months of informal argument. Where the statement stays up, the letter and its delivery receipt become the first exhibits in a claim, and for online material they support platform takedown requests.

Related resources

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StopAndDesist provides self-help templates and is not a law firm. This page is information, not legal advice.