Scurrilous

/ˈskʌr.ə.ləs/ adjective hard

Making false or insulting statements about someone in order to damage their reputation.

The tabloid ran a scurrilous story about the actor's finances with no evidence to back it up.

Memory Trick

Sounds like 'squirrel-ous' - imagine gossip scurrying around like a squirrel, spreading nasty rumors from tree to tree.