Defamation requires little proof of damages as damages are presumed when you falsely accuse someone of murder, theft and the like.
So who did the defendants accuse of murder, theft and the like? Seth or Aaron?
The explanation you just gave doesn’t make sense.
As with slander, defamationrequires an extremely high burden of proof. The defendant is not presumed to have defaced the plaintiff , absent ffurnishing a preponderance of evidence to compel a judge to allow the case to proceed.