
Quoting
fletcherrhoden
Defamation can bring both actual and punitive damages -- when The National Enquirer published a story about comedian Carol Burnett being drunk in public, she claimed that it damaged her reputation and ability to get work, which represented actual damages -- the money she lost out on due to this damage. But since the NE was also liable for punitive damages, which are decided by the wealth of the defendant. The deeper the pockets, the bigger the punitive damages, regardless of the actual damages. So the answer is ... virtually limitless, depending on the wealth of the defendant.