Lawyer sues TikToker who uploaded NY ex’s videos alleging domestic abuse before her suicide

The ex-husband of a Westchester mother-of-three who allegedly took her own life via assisted suicide has filed a $150 million lawsuit against the TikToker who uploaded her videos accusing him of domestic abuse.

Allan Kassenoff stepped down from his job as a patent lawyer in June after TikToker Robbie Harvey, an advocate for women in abusive relationships, uploaded more than 20 videos Catherine Kassenoff shared on Facebook before she reportedly died by assisted suicide in Switzerland.

While Catherine’s post, along with a suicide note, have since been deleted from Facebook, her claims were broadcast to Harvey’s more than 3 million followers, which Kassenoff said led to his financial and emotional ruin, according to the lawsuit filed last Tuesday in Florida district court.

“With a few clicks of his keyboard and a video uploaded to TikTok, Defendant Robert Harvey financially destroyed Plaintiff Allan Kassenoff,” his attorneys wrote.

“And, even worse, irreparably harmed Mr. Kassenoff’s three young children… by forcing them into a life where their identities will forever be associated with a bitter and ugly divorce and the suicide of their mother.”

The Kassenoffs received national attention following Harvey’s uploads of Catherine’s videos, where the former federal prosecutor accused her ex-husband of not only domestic abuse, but also “predatory” legal practices that kept her away from their three daughters in 2018.

Catherine, who was also suffering from terminal cancer, ultimately dubbed him the villain in the contentious custody battle before her alleged suicide, with the videos also sent to several judges, attorneys and friends.

While a court found no evidence of domestic violence and awarded Kassenoff sole custody of his kids, his employer, Greenberg Traurig, suspended him amid a renewed investigation over the case. Kassenoff resigned days into the probe.

Kassenoff claimed in the lawsuit that Harvey’s followers “bombarded” the law firm with more than 7,000 calls and 500 emails accusing him of the reason his ex-wife was dead.

Kassenoff also accused Harvey of spreading defamatory information by allegedly editing Catherine’s videos, but the lawsuit did not state how the videos were supposedly altered.

He also said Harvey showed “reckless disregard for the truth” through his commentary on Catherine’s videos, where the influencer was appalled that Kassenoff was granted custody of their kids.

It was paired with one video showing him snapping at the children, with one daughter saying she doesn’t “want to go with that crazy guy.”

The father-of-three ultimately claimed that Harvey’s “sole motivation for intentionally destroying four lives was one thing and one thing only — money.”

Along with the $150 million lawsuit, Kassenoff is asking the court to order the removal of all of Catherine’s videos on Harvey’s TikTok account, as well as an injunction to bar the influencer from posting anything else about Kassenoff.

Harvey’s attorney, Jonathan Davidoff, said in a statement that the lawsuit was nothing more than “spiteful revenge” and an attempt “to rewrite history” with Kassenoff as the victim.

Davidoff added that the lawsuit was in clear violation of Florida’s anti-Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP) statue, which prohibits lawsuits brought forth against people exercising their right of free speech.

If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.