The family of Kyle Filipowski’s fiancee is speaking out for the first time after Filipowski’s family members took to social media to accuse Caitlin Hutchison of “training” the former Duke University star when he was still in high school.
Filipovski, 20 years old, Hutchison, 27; The relationship has come under scrutiny after ESPN’s Jonathan Givony reported that the draft team had “discussed” the seven-year age difference between the two and Filipowski’s strained relationship with his family.
The basketball player’s mother and brother further claimed on social media that his mother “forced” Filipowski to cut ties with the family two years ago.
Speaking to the Daily Mail “There will be things to come,” Kaitlyn’s mother, Amanda Hutchison, said outside their Madison, Alabama, home, adding that the couple were avoiding the spotlight amid the “storm.”
“What we always tell our kids is that no matter what good thing you do, if you have faith there’s always going to be an enemy, there’s always going to be something bad for every good thing, so how do we weather those storms?” Amanda Hutchinson said.
The elder Hutchison pointed to Filipowski’s agent and an NBA spokesperson, and reiterated that the family is “weathering the storm” but that the situation is “out of my control.” The NBA told the Daily Mail that it is not involved.
The outlet also reported that Caitlin Hutchison had known Filipowski since she was a child, and that the Filipowski and Hutchison families were once so close that their children considered each other “family.”
Filipowski was expected to be a first-round pick in last week’s NBA draft but fell to the second round and was selected by the Jazz.
The disappearance surprised many observers, and it was around this time that reports about Filippovsky’s affairs began to surface.
Filipovski’s brother, Daniel, has continued to post about the incident on social media, including in a lengthy post last weekend.
“My brother was a victim and, unfortunately, a ‘perfect’ pawn and target for this young girl’s lifelong plan, based on his personal characteristics and potential development as a high-level prospect. That plan began in 2019, exactly when she began pursuing him.” Daniel Filipovsky wrote to X on Sunday.
Daniel Filippovski posted the previous day that his brother “A victim who is trapped.”
Filipowski has not publicly addressed the family’s allegations, and neither he nor Jazz general manager Justin Zanik were asked about the matter during his introductory news conference Tuesday.
“The whole staff couldn’t believe he was there,” Zanik said of Filipovski being selected in the second round. “Honestly, it was a pretty easy choice for us. He was a guy we really wanted, so we ran up to the podium when the pick came around.”
