Shaggy defense

noun

A legal defense strategy in which the defendant categorically denies any involvement.

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Meanings

nounShaggy defense (plural Shaggy defenses)

plural Shaggy defenses

  1. informalA legal defense strategy in which the defendant categorically denies any involvement.

Origin

Coined by Slate writer Josh Levin in 2008 to describe the defense tactics used by singer R. Kelly on trial for child pornography charges. The term refers to reggae musician Shaggy's 2000 single "It Wasn't Me", which narrates a story of shamelessly denying one's infidelity.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Shaggy defense. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Shaggy%20defense

MLA

“Shaggy defense.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Shaggy%20defense. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Shaggy defense,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Shaggy%20defense.

Source: Shaggy defense on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.