Wrong. Truth is an absolute defense.
"Malice" is only legally applicable when a lie is published knowingly.
I don’t have the link, but I read of a case where a guy had done something dishonest, I forgot what, and someone used that info to cost him his job.
He sued and won.
I was amazed because I always also had the understanding that the truth would protect you in a libel/slander case and I have been to the edge myself in an incident where I turned a customer in for graft, and it was big time big money costing his job, which I think paid him in the neighborhood of $200,000.
So when I read of that case, it stuck with me. Especially the part where the court ruled that even if true, it was done with malice and intent to ruin him.
I assume you are an attorney. You might expound a little more on the topic if you are. Perhaps you recall the case I speak of. Perhaps it was appealed and missed that.