Navy veteran refuses to forgive CNN reporter after winning defamation trial: He's proud of his 'hit piece' on me.

Zachary Young, the U.S. Navy veteran who won a defamation trial against CNN last week, says he does not forgive the journalists responsible for the "hit piece" on him, particularly CNN correspondent Alex Marquardt.

"Young stated in an interview with Planet Chronicle Digital on Friday that he has no reason to forgive them because they haven't apologized. In fact, he said that they have been given ample opportunities to do so during deposition and trial, but their response was always "no." Young added that Marquardt still stands by his work and is proud of what he did, which was to destroy his life with a hit piece."

"He's not my biggest fan," Young added.

Last week, on the witness stand, Marquardt affirmed that his report was not intended to be a "hit piece" on Young.

At the time of testimony, Marquardt stated that he did not intend to harm anyone and did not cause any harm.

Marquardt expressed pride in the report that aired in November 2021 and remained confident in his work. Nevertheless, a six-person jury later determined that his report defamed Young and the network reached a settlement with the Navy veteran before the jury could deliberate on punitive damages.

Despite CNN's on-air apology in March 2022, the network maintained an unapologetic tone throughout the trial. Several CNN staffers who testified opposed the apology.

Adam Levine, CNN's corporate representative, called the apology a "legal decision" and admitted he also opposed the on-air mea culpa.

"Although it was a legal decision, their apology was not sincere. They made it to minimize the exposure to punitive damages in this lawsuit, which they knew would have a significant impact from the start," Young said. "I understand why they did it."

Despite the damning evidence against CNN, the network's staff maintained an unapologetic posture throughout the trial, which Young's lead counsel Vel Freedman found to be disingenuous.

"If the defendants had admitted fault and expressed remorse, the jury may not have awarded punitive damages. However, when they were unapologetic, it reinforced Freedman's testimony to the jury, which was to stop them. Each defendant stated that they would do it again. They need to be deterred."

After a long legal battle with CNN, Young states that he has no animosity towards Planet Chronicle Digital.

"I believe this outcome was beneficial for both of us," Young stated. "Now that I'm able to move forward with my life, I couldn't have imagined what that would entail or how it would feel for a long time. Although I'm still unsure about how it will feel when everything settles down, I no longer harbor any animosity towards CNN."

"He hoped that they would use this experience as a chance to reflect on themselves and recognize the need for change and improvement. He hoped that this realization would not only benefit CNN but also other media outlets."

A spokesperson for CNN stated that they are proud of their journalists and committed to strong, fearless and fair-minded reporting, while also acknowledging the need to learn from the case.

During the Biden administration's military withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, Young was accused by CNN of profiting illegally by helping people flee the country on the "black market." Young believed that CNN's reporting destroyed his reputation and business by branding him an illegal profiteer who exploited "desperate Afghans" in a November 2021 segment.

During the trial, Young's legal team presented damning CNN internal messages discovered through discovery, which revealed staffers expressing overt hostility towards the Navy veteran. These messages included one calling him a "s---bag," an "a--hole," and one stating that he has a "punchable face."

During the trial, it was disclosed that Marquardt had told a coworker, "we're gonna get this Zachary Young son of a bitch," a statement frequently referenced in court.

Planet Chronicle' Annie McCuen and Brian Flood contributed to this report.