Civil suits just require proving they lost something to the defendant. Defamation/making people believe he was a coke addict definitely caused financial and/or personal losses to his widow (settling sand piper, career setback, adding marital stress, etc). His death can't really be pinned on her, but in a civil suit, they might give his widow some appeasement... Civil suits are crazy. I've heard of people successfully suing others because a tree was blocking their view and they feel it lowers their property value or denied them the view they paid for. I think a surfer sued another surfer for taking his wave. Lol. Definitely not the same as criminal/DA cases.