I had a movie where the investor turned out to be scam artist. I had proceed before all the funds were in the bank. Once I found out I stop production but was unable to all the people for this production. We have been trying to raise funds for the last three months without any luck. Now people are calling me a scam artist or spending money on myself; which isn't true. It will and has effected my future work. Should I sue these employees for talking out of their ***. None of these people have money, so it wouldn't be any financial gain but will it shut them up.

Do I have a case?

" was unable to all the people for this production"
?? What are you trying to say,

Do you owe people that was working for you ? If so worry about them suing you.

Please slow down and tell us what is happening and why you think you could sue them.

I have paid $23,000 of the $40,000 debt. Most of these people didn't have signed contracts. I am working out a financial arrangement to pay off the rest next year. But question that I posed was people are making slander statement about me that would prevent me from getting future work. Do I have a case

To prove slander you will have to show that what these people are saying is both false and malicious, and that it was said to people that matter. Since you haven't told us what these people actually said, and to whom they said it, it's impossible to say whether you have a case or not. But consider: if you hired some people to work for you and didn't pay them, it's going to be tough to prove that calling you a scam artist is slander.

None of these people have money, so it wouldn't be any financial gain but will it shut them up.Hello c:

Paying them will also shut them up. You owe 'em $17,000. Hiring a lawyer will cost $15,000. What else is there to say?

excon

I love the term "Most of them did not have contracts"

You mean they did not have a written contract, if you agreed to pay them for their work, they had a verbal contract.
Sorry but getting technical about having to pay them, to be honest does not make your case sound good, It sounds as if you are excusing not paying some of them since there is not a written contract. If I was one of those you owed and you made that commit to me, I would most likely have less than good things to say about you myself