ST. PAUL — The estate of “American Sniper” author Chris Kyle is seeking an appeal after a federal jury ruled in favor of former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura in a defamation case.

Kyle’s widow Taya Kyle filed a notice of the appeal Tuesday. Ventura was awarded $1.8 million in August in the lawsuit that alleged Chris Kyle made up claims in his book about punching Ventura after he made offensive comments about Navy SEALS at a California bar in 2006. Ventura said it never happened.

Both men are former SEALs. Kyle died last year.

The notice doesn’t specify the arguments the Kyle estate will make in its appeal. Hearing dates have not been set.

A movie adaptation of the book directed by Clint Eastwood opens on Christmas and doesn’t include a bar fight.