It was Thursday night, but Adam was not in the headspace to celebrate. He had just heard the news that his colleague, Sami, received the big promotion that he had been working very hard for since his first day at Tech Star. Sami's promotion meant that his annual salary would increase by $10,000.

Adam felt that he deserved the promotion more than Sami did. Not only did Adam have more qualifications and advanced training than Sami, but he had also worked on higher priority accounts, and obtained excellent customer ratings during his employment. Adam felt that the real reason Sami received the promotion was that he was in a romantic relationship with their manager, Jena. Adam based this on his observations of them in the workplace and on social media. Adam shared this belief with his colleagues, both in the office and on Microsoft Teams.

After that weekend, Adam decided to confront Jena about the promotion. Adam approached Jena in her office, relaying his belief that Jena and Sami were in a romantic relationship. He shared his observations with her, and mentioned that the other employees agreed with him. Jena was furious, responding "Adam, that is NOT true! Sami and I are NOT in a relationship. We are good friends! I have been married for ten years, and I would never have an affair! I cannot believe that you would spread such a nasty lie! My lawyer will hear about this!"

Jena's main concern is that this rumor will harm both her career and Sami's, and that it might affect her marriage, and her family, if it spreads online. Therefore, Jena is considering filing a defamation lawsuit against Adam.

Analyze this legal scenario and deliver a structured argument using the IRAC method.