NFL's Le'Veon Bell Ordered to Pay $25M Amid Serious Allegations.
Le’Veon Bell has been ordered to pay $25 million to his cousin after she accused him of sexual assault, but his lawyer is calling the default judgment “bogus,” according to TMZ.
Jada Bell filed a lawsuit in Ohio last year, making some serious allegations against the NFL player. She claims that he started abusing her when she was just 6 years old. Le’Veon, who is her cousin and eight years older, allegedly continued this abuse for a decade, returning to their hometown from college to mistreat her. Jada says it finally ended when she turned 18.
After she filed her complaint in March 2024, the judge issued a default ruling in October because Le’Veon didn’t respond to the lawsuit. Court records indicate he was properly served but didn’t take any action in the case.
Last month, a jury trial took place to decide on damages, and Le’Veon was absent. Jada ended up winning a staggering $25 million.
Even though Le’Veon didn’t respond to the lawsuit, his attorney has publicly denied the allegations and it seems they plan to challenge the default judgment.
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The athlete’s attorney, Thomas W. Shaffer, said, "My client adamantly denies any and all allegations that have been lodged against him. Further, he was never served with a civil complaint or any documents."
"The default judgment granted was based upon violations of his Fifth Amendment rights of due process for failing to be served," he went on. "My client is in the process of filing a motion to open and reverse the default judgment because the merits of the case have never been litigated."
Le’Veon Bell has raked in tens of millions during his time in the NFL, despite facing some legal issues. As of 2024, his net worth is estimated at about $12 million, but that could take a big hit if he ends up having to pay $25 million.
At one point, Bell was among the highest-paid running backs in the league. He played for teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, landing contracts totaling over $45 million during his career.
His biggest contract was in 2019 when the Jets signed him for 4 years at $52.5 million, with $35 million guaranteed. Unfortunately, he didn’t quite meet expectations with the Jets, which led to his release.
Since then, Bell has had a tough time keeping a steady football career, moving from team to team before eventually stepping away from the NFL to pursue boxing and other business opportunities.
