Le’Veon Bell: Former NFL player denies child sex abuse allegations after $25m default judgement

Le’Veon Bell, 33, a former Kansas City Chiefs player, was ordered to pay $25 million in a default judgement. However, his attorney has dismissed the ruling as “bogus” and stated they are working to overturn it.

According to TMZ Sports, Jada Bell filed a lawsuit in Franklin County, Ohio, in 2024, claiming that she is Bell’s cousin and that he sexually abused her over the course of a decade, beginning when she was just six or seven years old.

The lawsuit alleges that Bell, who is eight years older than Jada, would use slang terms to indicate what sexual acts he wanted her to perform. “For instance,” the suit states, “he termed oral sex ‘fire.’”

Jada claims the abuse continued when Bell would return to Ohio during his college years and beyond, only ending when she turned 18.

Court documents obtained by TMZ Sports show that Jada filed her complaint on March 22, 2024. In October 2024, a judge issued a default judgement in her favour, ruling that Bell had been properly served with the lawsuit but failed to respond or appear in court.

A jury trial was later held in his absence to determine damages, and Jada was awarded $25 million. Bell has denied all allegations and insists he was never properly served.

His attorney, Thomas W Shaffer, issued a statement to TMZ Sports: “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.”

Shaffer argues that Bell was not living in Ohio at the time he was reportedly served and says the default judgement was issued in violation of his Fifth Amendment rights to due process.

“The default judgement granted was based upon violations of his Fifth Amendment rights of due process for failing to be served,” Shaffer continued. “My client is in the process of filing a motion to open and reverse the default judgement because the narratives of the case have never been litigated.”

Bell earned more than $45 million in contracts during his eight-year NFL career, which included stints with the Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets, and Kansas City Chiefs. Since retiring from football, Bell has transitioned into professional boxing and recently expressed interest in fighting Oleksandr Usyk.