The former Navy SEAL credited with killing Osama bin Laden is suing two podcasters for $25 million, accusing them of spreading false claims that he fabricated his role in the 2011 mission.
Robert O’Neill - the highly decorated ex-SEAL Team Six member who took part in Operation Neptune’s Spear - filed the defamation suit in Westchester County Supreme Court on Monday, the eve of Veterans Day.
According to the lawsuit, podcasters Tyler Hoover and Brent Tucker, hosts of the Antihero Broadcast, launched what O’Neill calls a smear campaign against him beginning in 2023.
Both men are also military veterans and Florida residents.
Podcasters Accused of Spreading Lies for Clicks
O’Neill alleges the pair used his name and reputation to boost their YouTube channel’s popularity.
During an August 2023 episode, Tucker reportedly claimed that O’Neill had lied about killing the al-Qaeda leader, even suggesting that “it is the worst-kept secret in all of special ops.”
Tucker went on to imply that he personally knew members of the mission who would not confirm O’Neill’s version of events, saying: “They won’t do it.”
O’Neill’s lawsuit states that he was the SEAL who fired the fatal shots that ended bin Laden’s life on May 2 2011, a fact the suit says was verified by retired Admiral William H. McRaven, who led the mission.
O’Neill Stands by His Account of the Raid
In previous interviews, O’Neill has consistently described the same sequence of events: that he and another SEAL were the first to reach the top of the compound stairs.
When his teammate moved to confront what was believed to be a possible suicide bomber, O’Neill turned the other way and came face-to-face with Osama bin Laden, firing three rounds that killed him.
He has maintained that the podcasters’ allegations are completely false and that their repeated attacks have caused lasting damage to his reputation.
Podcasters Claimed He Changed His Story
In a later episode on April 22, 2024, Hoover accused O’Neill of changing his story, suggesting he had shifted from claiming to be the sole shooter to saying the team was responsible.
“He is going from saying that he was the one that killed Osama bin Laden… now he is going on an outlet saying his team killed and that he shot bin Laden,” Hoover said on the podcast.
Robert O'Neill pictured in 2017. Credit: Phillip Faraone / Getty Images.
Tucker added: “‘You were just the last guy to put a round in bin Laden.’ And that’s where his original story and now his new story drastically differ[s].”
By October 2025, Tucker was hosting a separate show called Tier1, where he again referenced O’Neill.
According to the lawsuit, Tucker claimed that the lack of legal action against him at the time proved he was telling the truth. “Never get a lawsuit,” Tucker said on air.
“They’d sue me in a heartbeat. Never. … You can guess why they don’t have a lawsuit against me.”
Legal Action and Impact on O’Neill’s Career
O’Neill, now 49, said he finally decided to file the lawsuit to put an end to the ongoing public attacks.
He reportedly noted that the podcasters mention him in nearly every episode, and that the harassment has not stopped.
Court documents claim the pair failed to conduct even “basic due diligence” before defaming him, according to The New York Post.
O’Neill, who does not personally know Hoover or Tucker, found it especially troubling that two fellow veterans would publicly target another servicemember.
He believes disputes among veterans should be handled privately, not broadcast for entertainment.
Damage to Reputation and Mental Health
Since his retirement from the Navy in 2012, O’Neill has built a successful public speaking career and launched leadership training ventures and a cannabis brand.
However, the lawsuit claims the defamatory statements have caused him to lose speaking engagements and suffer psychological distress.
The filing asserts that the podcasters’ comments have caused “psychological and physiological harm, in addition to embarrassment,” and have significantly hurt his career and public image.
According to the complaint, any financial award from the lawsuit will be donated to support veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, a cause O’Neill has long championed.