Patricia Linson’s favorite Kenny Chesney song might be “She’s Got It All,” but she probably doesn’t feel that way about herself after recent court results. On August 11, 2026, the Court of Appeals in California’s Second Appellate District affirmed a Los Angeles Superior Court ruling that dismissed country singer Kenny Chesney from Linson’s lawsuit that included inadequate warning and negligence theories. The trial court had granted Chesney’s demurrer, agreeing that Linson hadn’t established that the singer was responsible for her being scammed out of $310,000 by someone impersonating him online.
In ruling against Linson’s appeal, the appellate court determined that the trial court hadn’t erred in dismissing her causes of action without leave to amend, which included fraud, civil conspiracy, and vicarious liability. Despite Linson’s claims, the courts agreed that Chesney was under no legal responsibility to post warnings about celebrity impersonation scams on his social media accounts and websites. They also saw no merit in allowing her to amend her suit because she could not identify any addiitional facts she could allege to support her claim that the unknown impersonator worked with Chesney and had access to “insider” information that led her to believe she was talking to the real deal.
No Lawsuit, No Shoes, No Problem
When considering the most successful country music acts of all time, Kenneth Arnold Chesney is likely to be part of the conversation. A winner of six Academy of Country Music Awards, including Entertainer of the Year four years in a row. The “Kenny Chesney: Living in Fast Forward” exhibition opened last month at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, and, backed by legendary promoter Kate McMahon, he’s sold tens of millions of concert tickets over his career. His personal worth is estimated at $180-$225 million.
Given his enduring success, it must have seemed a little odd to fan Patricia Linson when someone claiming to be Chesney contacted her on LinkedIn in February 2021 and said that, due to financial difficulties, he needed a loan of several hundred thousand dollars to appear at a country music awards show, repair damaged instruments, create new music videos, and help finance other aspects of his music business. Linson said the faux Chesney convinced her he was legit by sharing details about new releases and upcoming tour information that wasn’t yet public.
Thus deceived, Linson began sending money to not-Chesney’s “partner,” Nayri Apelian, in April 2021. All told, she sent $310,000, most of it in Bitcoin, to the scammer, believing she was bailing out Chesney and would be repaid in six months with interest. Her complaint indicated she was swayed by Apelian, who she said had an “impressive business background.”
After Chesney was a “no-show” at a meeting, Linson became uneasy and hired a private detective. Realizing that it was likely she’d been scammed, Linson believed it was Chesney’s fault for not warning his fans about impersonators posing as him. Initial filings led to the second amended lawsuit against Chesney, Apelian, and a John Doe representing the unknown imposter on June 14, 2024. Apelian, who had a bankruptcy closed and discharged near the end of 2022, wrote a declaration of support to Linson’s opposition against Chesney’s demurrer in 2024, stating that he too believed he was a victim of a celebrity scam and that if people like Chesney alerted their fans of ill-intentioned impersonators, their schemes would be easier to identify and avoid.
You Had Me at Hello (So I Gave You Money)
Linson’s lawsuit acknowledged that she hadn’t been communicating directly with Chesney himself, but that he was responsible for the actions of someone who had to be on the inside of his operation. This belief served as the launching point for the 10 causes of action in her complaint: fraud; civil conspiracy; breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing; promissory estoppel; unjust enrichment; vicarious liability; inadequate warning; negligence; negligent hiring, supervision, or retention; and punitive damages. In Linson’s view, the alleged insider’s “information” was what reeled her in.
As with the trial court, that stance found no arable ground with the Appellate judges. Chesney had argued that Linson had offered little to nothing when it came to facts. The courts agreed, also finding that Chesney and other celebrities don’t owe a duty to warn against third-party impersonators that they don’t have any control over. In its affirmation, the appeals court found her claims without merit or support.
While some might find it easy to raise an eyebrow at Linson’s willingness to believe that a massively successful country music star needed to beg on LinkedIn to have enough money to fix guitars, it’s also important to remember that modern scams can be quite sophisticated. In addition, fans love with all their hearts. Without such devotion, scams such as this one could never succeed.
