Social media commentator, Melissa Ann Atwell, popularly known as “Melly Mell”, has been ordered by the High Court to pay $38 million in damages and costs to Dr. Balwant Singh’s Hospital Inc. and its Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Madhu Singh.
The judgment was delivered on September 3, 2025, by Justice Fidela Corbin-Lincoln, marking the end of a protracted legal battle that stemmed from a series of Facebook posts Atwell published in June 2019.
In those posts, Atwell published 33 separate “stories” on her public Facebook page over a five-day period, alleging malpractice, negligence, and unethical practices at the hospital and by Dr. Singh personally.
The statements suggested that the hospital engaged in deliberate misdiagnoses, improper billing practices, and the hiring of incompetent medical professionals. They also accused Dr. Singh of providing negligent treatment and inflating medical costs, some of which allegedly endangered patients’ lives.
The court found that these allegations were wholly unsubstantiated. Justice Corbin-Lincoln described them as a “very serious form of libel,” particularly damaging given their direct attack on Dr. Singh’s professional reputation. The judge noted that neither Dr. Singh nor the hospital had ever been the subject of disciplinary action, malpractice findings, or negligence proceedings before the Medical Council of Guyana.
Atwell, who admitted under cross-examination that she never attempted to verify the claims with the hospital, maintained a defence of justification. However, the court concluded that she provided “not a scintilla of evidence” to support her claims. The court further held that her refusal to apologize, coupled with her decision to persist with the defence despite the lack of evidence, aggravated the harm caused.
In assessing damages, Justice Corbin-Lincoln highlighted the seriousness of the libel, the extent of publication given Atwell’s thousands of Facebook followers, and the distress suffered by Dr. Singh, who testified that she was subjected to ridicule, gossip, online trolling, and even anonymous threats following the defamatory posts.
The court therefore awarded $20 million to Dr. Madhu Singh, inclusive of aggravated damages, and $15 million to Dr. Balwant Singh’s Hospital Inc., also inclusive of aggravated damages. In addition, Atwell was ordered to pay $3.15 million in prescribed costs, bringing the total payable to $38.15 million.
While the claimants also sought exemplary damages, the court rejected this request, finding no evidence that Atwell had acted with a financial motive or calculated malice. Nevertheless, Justice Corbin-Lincoln emphasized that “the wielding of the Facebook sword must be done responsibly,” warning that unverified defamatory allegations on social media must attract appropriate consequences.
The court also ordered Atwell to remove all defamatory material from her Facebook page.
The claimants, Dr. Balwant Singh’s Hospital Inc. and Dr. Madhu Singh, were represented by Mr. Robin Stoby, S.C., Mr. Stephen Fraser, S.C., and Mrs. Shantel Scott-Lall.
Atwell, the defendant, was represented by Mr. Sanjeev Datadin, Mr. Donovan Rangiah, Ms. Anessa Chow, and Ms. Mohanie Anagnaoo
