Tanya Zuckerbrot and F-Factor’s Defamation Lawsuit Against Emily Gellis Lande Reportedly Ends With a $240,000 Settlement and Public Apology

Tanya Zuckerbrot’s six-year defamation case against Instagram influencer Emily Gellis Lande has reportedly settled. According to the New York Post’s October 4, 2026 report, Gellis will pay $240,000 and issue a public apology.

This is not a class action, and consumers cannot claim any of this money. It is a private lawsuit between Zuckerbrot, her company Tanya Zuckerbrot Nutrition, LLC (doing business as F-Factor), and Gellis. There is no claim form, no administrator and no deadline for F-Factor customers.

The case is Zuckerbrot v. Lande, Index No. 655110/2020, in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, New York County, before Justice Joel M. Cohen.

A settlement is not a safety finding. The court never decided whether Gellis’s statements were false, and the settlement doesn’t mean F-Factor products were found safe or unsafe.

Last Updated: October 5, 2026

Zuckerbrot v. Lande: Quick Facts

Detail	What is verified
Case	Tanya Zuckerbrot MS RD and Tanya Zuckerbrot Nutrition, LLC d/b/a F-Factor v. Emily Gellis Lande
Court	Supreme Court of the State of New York, New York County
Index No.	655110/2020
Judge	Justice Joel M. Cohen
Filed	October 8, 2020
Claims that survived dismissal in 2022	Defamation and product disparagement
Claims dismissed in 2022	Deceptive trade practices, intentional infliction of emotional distress, civil harassment; Gellis’s anti-SLAPP counterclaim also dismissed
Reported settlement	240,000(500 per month for 40 years) and a public apology
Class action?	No
Consumer claim form	None

Why Tanya Zuckerbrot and F-Factor Sued Emily Gellis Lande

According to the court’s March 17, 2022 decision, Gellis published more than 4,500 Instagram posts over 75 days in 2020 about F-Factor, its products and Zuckerbrot. She had an audience of at least 200,000 followers. The decision describes posts claiming F-Factor products contained harmful ingredients and caused serious illness, that the company suppressed complaints and engaged in unlawful activity, and that Zuckerbrot sent people to harass Gellis. Zuckerbrot and F-Factor say the statements were false.

They also alleged that F-Factor’s monthly revenue fell from over $1 million to about $90,000 and that they suffered tens of millions of dollars in damages. Those are the plaintiffs’ allegations. The court didn’t enter a damages award.

What Justice Joel Cohen Decided on March 17, 2022

The ruling (2022 NY Slip Op 22072) was on Gellis’s motion to dismiss. It didn’t decide who was right.

• Defamation and product disparagement could proceed. The court held Zuckerbrot and F-Factor adequately alleged that Gellis made or republished false statements with actual malice, meaning knowledge of falsity or reckless disregard for the truth. It said whether the statements were actually false “is a fact question” that couldn’t be decided at that stage.
• Section 230 didn’t protect Gellis. The court found she was sued as a content creator, not as a neutral platform, because she allegedly selected, reposted and commented on the material herself.
• Republishing others’ claims wasn’t a defense. The court said accurately reposting an anonymous user’s defamatory statement can still be defamation.
• Three claims were dismissed: deceptive trade practices, intentional infliction of emotional distress and civil harassment. Gellis’s anti-SLAPP counterclaim was dismissed because the amended statute didn’t apply retroactively.

Why the Zuckerbrot v. Lande Case Took Six Years

After the 2022 ruling, the case turned to discovery. News coverage and court orders described repeated disputes over Gellis’s document and electronic-data production, including orders in March 2023, March 2024 and September 2024. A September 2024 order reportedly imposed a $5,000 sanction. Check the New York court reporter for the exact text of those orders.

What Are the Reported Terms of the Emily Gellis Settlement?

According to the New York Post’s October 4, 2026 report:

• Gellis pays $240,000, structured as $500 per month for 40 years.
• Gellis issues a public apology, acknowledging that her campaign wasn’t grounded in verified information and that she made statements about Zuckerbrot she now says were untrue.
• The settlement is tied to a court order reportedly entered September 22, 2026.

Sourcing note: I could confirm the case, the court and the 2022 ruling from the official court reporter. I could not access the September 22, 2026 order or the New York Post article directly, so the payment structure and apology terms are reported terms, not language I reviewed.

Does the Zuckerbrot Settlement Mean F-Factor Products Were Found Safe?

No. The settlement resolves a dispute between Zuckerbrot/F-Factor and Gellis. It isn’t a verdict on the safety of F-Factor products, and it doesn’t mean any consumer’s reported health problem was wrong. Three questions stay separate:

1. Whether Gellis made actionable defamatory statements
2. Whether individual consumers had medical problems while using F-Factor products
3. Whether F-Factor products were defective, unsafe or improperly marketed

A person’s report that a product caused a condition doesn’t by itself establish medical causation. If you believe a product injured you, talk to your doctor and, if appropriate, an attorney about your own situation.

Is There a Separate Lawsuit Over F-Factor Products?

Yes. A group of women sued Zuckerbrot and F-Factor in New York County in 2022, claiming they were harmed by the F-Factor diet. Zuckerbrot said the lawsuit had no merit. A court filing lists the case as Gordon et al. v. Zuckerbrot et al., Index No. 158720/2022. It is a different case from the one against Gellis, and I did not verify its current status. A second defamation suit by Zuckerbrot against Gellis has also been reported, and I couldn’t confirm whether this settlement covers it.

Can F-Factor Customers File a Claim in the Zuckerbrot-Gellis Settlement?

No. There is no consumer fund, claim form, administrator or deadline. Be cautious about any site claiming to offer a “Tanya Zuckerbrot settlement claim.”

What Happened to F-Factor’s Business?

The 2022 decision records the plaintiffs’ allegation that monthly revenue dropped from over $1 million to $90,000. The New York Post’s October 2026 report describes the business as once valued at more than $40 million and says Zuckerbrot plans to relaunch F-Factor in 2027. Those are reported figures and statements, not court findings.

Zuckerbrot v. Lande Timeline

Date	Event
Mid-July 2020	Gellis begins posting about F-Factor
October 8, 2020	Zuckerbrot and F-Factor file suit
March 17, 2022	Court allows defamation and product-disparagement claims to proceed
2022	Separate lawsuit filed by a group of women over F-Factor products
2023 to 2024	Discovery disputes and orders against Gellis
September 22, 2026	Settlement order reportedly entered
October 4, 2026	New York Post reports the settlement

Zuckerbrot v. Lande: Frequently Asked Questions

Is this a class action? 

No. It’s an individual lawsuit by Zuckerbrot and her company against one defendant.

How much is the settlement?

 Reportedly $240,000, paid at $500 a month for 40 years, plus a public apology.

Did the court find Gellis’s statements false?

 No. In 2022 the court only held the claims could go forward and left truth or falsity for later.

Can customers get money?

 No. There is no consumer claim process.

Does this resolve claims that F-Factor products caused harm?

 No. Those allegations are in a separate lawsuit.

What case number is it?

 Index No. 655110/2020, New York County Supreme Court.

Related AllAboutLawyer Coverage

• Balance Of Nature Settlement: When Will Payments Go Out?

Sources Used in This Zuckerbrot v. Lande Article

• New York State Law Reporting Bureau, Zuckerbrot v. Lande, 2022 NY Slip Op 22072 (75 Misc 3d 269), March 17, 2022: https://www.nycourts.gov/reporter/3dseries/2022/2022_22072.htm
• New York Post, “How Tanya Zuckerbrot lost her $40M diet empire to one troll, and the six year fight for justice,” October 4, 2026 (settlement terms, as reported): https://nypost.com/2026/10/04/health/how-tanya-zuckerbrot-lost-her-40m-diet-empire-to-one-troll-and-the-six-year-fight-for-justice/

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. All court facts verified against the New York State Law Reporting Bureau’s published March 17, 2022 decision in Zuckerbrot v. Lande; settlement terms are as reported by the New York Post on October 4, 2026, as of October 5, 2026. Last Updated: October 5, 2026.

Disclaimer: This is legal information, not legal advice. AllAboutLawyer.com is not a law firm. Allegations aren’t established facts, and the settlement terms are as reported. Check the court record for the authoritative terms.