“on the grounds that he committed a criminal act”... I hope Wilson sues them
Should be actionable for slander, right now.
Accusing someone of a crime on TV is slander.
Doing it in a lawsuit is protected activity.
In California and many other states, if you sued for slander based on the allegations in a lawsuit, they would move to strike your complaint, they would win, and you would pay their attorneys fees.
Strange but true.