Maybe, but it usually doesnt work. We see this with sexual assault survivors. Theyll sue a victim for defamation. The defendant will say, You called me a child molester. No, I reported this crime to the police. And thats one of the benefits of filing a civil suit because that is protected speech. What you say in a civil lawsuit thats true cannot be used against you as evidence of defamation. It is very important that you talk with your attorney and you follow his or her guidance on what you can say outside of court outside of the context of that civil suit, but I dont think Ive seen any successful defamation cases against victims. Its a scare tactic meant to have a chilling effect on the survivor.