Jesse Ventura loses appeal to have $1.8M verdict against 'American Sniper' Chris Kyle reinstated

The United States Supreme Court rejected Monday former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura's attempt to reinstate the $1.8 million defamation verdict against the estate of "American Sniper" Chris Kyle.

The court, by denying Ventura's appeal, upheld the lower appellate court's ruling, in this case the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, which overturned the $1.8 million verdict last June because it "failed as a matter of law," according to reports.

That verdict was issued in 2014 and stemmed from a passage from Kyle's autobiography, which was the basis of the 2014 film "American Sniper."

Ventura, a former SEAL, took issue with Kyle's claim that Kyle punched Ventura at a California bar in 2006 for offensive comments he allegedly made about the U.S. Navy SEALs.

Ventura said Kyle made up the entire incident and that the book damaged Ventura's reputation among former SEALs.

Still, Ventura could have the case retried in Minnesota and has said that he will continue fighting.

Kyle, who is one of the most famous Navy SEALs in history and was known for his deadly accuracy behind a sniper rifle, was murdered at a Texas gun range in 2013 by a fellow military veteran who suffered from PTSD and mental illness.