DEUT1507 The prohibition of lashon hara is so severe that the Torah forbids one from speaking lashon hara even if what one says is true, and in all circumstances. Not only does one violate the prohibition if he is careful to speak about this subject in private and make sure that the subject does not find out what was said about him--for in doing so he also incurs a curse, as it says: אָר֕וּר מַכֵּ֥ה רֵעֵ֖הוּ בַּסָּ֑תֶר “Cursed is one who strikes his fellow in secret” (Devarim 27:24)--but even if the speaker is certain that he would be willing to say that lashon hara in the presence of the subject, or if he actually does say it before him, that is also forbidden and considered lashon hara. In a certain sense, the sin of speaking lashon hara in the presence of the person he is speaking about is worse than speaking about him in his absence, because when one speaks lashon hara in the subject's presence, not only is he transgressing the provision of lashon hara, he is also conducting himself with brazenness and chutzpah. In addition, speaking with lashon hara in the subject's presence engenders greater strife, and can at times cause the other person's face to turn white from embarrassment, as we described at length in negative commitment 14 וְלֹא־תִשָּׂ֥א עָלָ֖יו חֵֽטְא׃, “Do not bear a sin because of him” (Vayikra 19:17).