Filed: May 25, 2018
Latest Update: Mar. 03, 2020
Summary: NOT PRECEDENTIAL UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT _ No. 18-1518 _ TYLER BRENDON MILLER, Appellant v. COMCAST, (Universal Pictures), (NBC), (NBC Universal) _ On Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania (D.C. Civil Action No. 2-17-cv-05564) District Judge: Honorable Gerald A. McHugh _ Submitted Pursuant to Third Circuit LAR 34.1(a) May 24, 2018 Before: VANASKIE, COWEN and NYGAARD, Circuit Judges (Opinion filed: May 25, 2018) _ OPINIO
Summary: NOT PRECEDENTIAL UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT _ No. 18-1518 _ TYLER BRENDON MILLER, Appellant v. COMCAST, (Universal Pictures), (NBC), (NBC Universal) _ On Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania (D.C. Civil Action No. 2-17-cv-05564) District Judge: Honorable Gerald A. McHugh _ Submitted Pursuant to Third Circuit LAR 34.1(a) May 24, 2018 Before: VANASKIE, COWEN and NYGAARD, Circuit Judges (Opinion filed: May 25, 2018) _ OPINION..
More
NOT PRECEDENTIAL
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT
___________
No. 18-1518
___________
TYLER BRENDON MILLER,
Appellant
v.
COMCAST, (Universal Pictures), (NBC), (NBC Universal)
____________________________________
On Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
(D.C. Civil Action No. 2-17-cv-05564)
District Judge: Honorable Gerald A. McHugh
____________________________________
Submitted Pursuant to Third Circuit LAR 34.1(a)
May 24, 2018
Before: VANASKIE, COWEN and NYGAARD, Circuit Judges
(Opinion filed: May 25, 2018)
___________
OPINION *
___________
PER CURIAM
*
This disposition is not an opinion of the full Court and pursuant to I.O.P. 5.7 does not
constitute binding precedent.
Tyler Brendon Miller appeals from the District Court’s order dismissing his
complaint with prejudice and without leave to amend. For the reasons discussed below,
we will affirm.
In his complaint, Miller alleges that Comcast has “use[d] [him] in movies, TV
shows, music and commercials” without his permission, and that Comcast is engaged in a
campaign to portray him “in the worst possible light” and “ruin [his] life.” D. Ct. Dkt.
No. 1 at 6. Specifically, he alleges that Comcast “literally tr[ies] to cast [him] as a villain
in their movies, and turn America against [him],” and that the film “Despicable Me” was
a “direct hit towards” him and that the movie “Happy Death Day” was an attempt to “ruin
[his] birthday.”
Id. Miller additionally alleges that Comcast followed his now
deactivated Twitter account and then conspired with his phone carrier to spy on him
through his phone, and that Comcast is “trying to get people to kill [him].”
Id. Miller
also contends that Comcast’s actions have caused him “severe emotional distress” and
that he has been “diagnosed with a panic disorder.”
Id. at 7. He brings a Pennsylvania
state law claim of intentional infliction of emotional distress against Comcast and seeks
recovery of 18 million dollars for “years[’] worth of damages” resulting from Comcast
“making money off [his] pain and suffering.”
Id.
Comcast filed a motion to dismiss Miller’s complaint. The District Court granted
the motion and issued an order dismissing the complaint with prejudice and without leave
to amend. Miller appeals.
2
The District Court had diversity jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1332. We have
appellate jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291. We exercise plenary review over the order
granting Comcast’s motion to dismiss. Grier v. Klem,
591 F.3d 672, 676 (3d Cir. 2010).
In reviewing the dismissal under Rule 12(b)(6), “we accept all factual allegations as true
[and] construe the complaint in the light most favorable to the plaintiff.” Warren Gen.
Hosp. v. Amgen Inc.,
643 F.3d 77, 84 (3d Cir. 2011) (quoting Pinker v. Roche Holdings,
Ltd.,
292 F.3d 361, 374 n.7 (3d Cir. 2002)). A court may grant a motion to dismiss under
Rule 12(b)(6) “only if, accepting all well-pleaded allegations in the complaint as true and
viewing them in the light most favorable to the plaintiff, [it] finds that [the] plaintiff’s
claims lack facial plausibility.”
Id. (citing Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly,
550 U.S. 544,
555–56 (2007)).
A claim for intentional infliction of emotional distress under Pennsylvania law
requires four elements: “(1) the conduct must be extreme and outrageous; (2) the conduct
must be intentional or reckless; (3) it must cause emotional distress; and (4) the distress
must be severe.” Bruffett v. Warner Commc’ns, Inc.,
692 F.2d 910, 914 (3d Cir. 1982).
We agree with the District Court that Miller did not state a plausible claim for
intentional infliction of emotional distress. His claim is facially implausible as it is based
on vague and conclusory allegations that Comcast has released films, television shows,
music, and commercials portraying him negatively, and that Comcast is otherwise spying
on him through his phone and is attempting to have him murdered. Moreover, even if
Miller’s accusations that Comcast intentionally tried to cast him in a negative light were
3
plausible, it would not meet the standard of extreme and outrageous required under
Pennsylvania law. See Hoy v. Angelone,
720 A.2d 745, 754 (Pa. 1998) (explaining that
to rise to the level of extreme and outrageous for purposes of a claim for intentional
infliction of emotional distress the conduct alleged must be “so outrageous in character,
and so extreme in degree, as to go beyond all possible bounds of decency, and to be
regarded as atrocious, and utterly intolerable in a civilized society”). Further, under the
circumstances of this case, the District Court did not abuse its discretion in dismissing
Miller’s complaint without leave to amend. See Grayson v. Mayview State Hosp.,
293
F.3d 103, 108 (3d Cir. 2002).
Accordingly, we will affirm the District Court’s order dismissing Miller’s
complaint with prejudice and without leave to amend.
4