MARIETTA, Ga. — Former professional football and baseball player Bo Jackson will waive a $21 million judgment for harassing his niece and nephew and attempting to extort money from them.
A judge ruled in favor of Jackson in February in a lawsuit he filed against Thomas Lee Anderson and Erica M. Anderson (also known as Erica Anderson Ross) in April 2023. was lowered.
Jackson, a running back who won the Heisman Trophy at Auburn University and played in both the NFL and MLB, claimed in the lawsuit that his relatives tried to extort $20 million from him through harassment and intimidation.
In addition to the award, last year's ruling also included a permanent protection order forbidding his niece and nephew from bothering or contacting him or his immediate family.
They also said they must stay at least 500 yards from the Jackson family and delete social media posts about the Jackson family.
In a February order, Cobb County Superior Court Judge Jason D. Marbutt said neither Jackson's niece and nephew nor their attorneys have disputed Jackson's claims since the May 2023 hearing when he agreed to the temporary protective order. , said it was not taking part in the lawsuit.
The judge found the Andersons in default and accepted all of Jackson's claims as true.
After the ruling was issued, the Andersons' new attorneys filed a motion in March to vacate the ruling and dismiss the case, according to court filings.
In Tuesday's filing, Jackson and the Andersons jointly asked the judge to vacate the February order, dismiss the Andersons' pending claims, and enter a consent judgment.
Signed a Tigers helmet while at Auburn in 1985.
His College Football Hall of Fame induction. AP
“During that time, the parties have conducted two rounds of mediation and reached a non-disclosure agreement to resolve this dispute,” the filing states.
Marbutt on Wednesday issued an order reversing the February ruling at the request of Jackson and his nieces and nephews.
The consent decree finds in Jackson's favor on several counts, dismisses others, awards no damages to either Jackson or his nieces and nephews, and the parties pay their own attorneys' fees. I take it as a thing.
The Anderson family also must not harass or threaten Jackson, his wife and children, except in certain circumstances such as court appearances, sporting events, and family functions, and must not be within 500 yards (meters) of Jackson, his wife and children. He also says that they should not leave.
The Anderson family is also to have no contact with Jackson, his wife and children.
Jackson, 62, claims the harassment began in 2022 and included threatening posts and messages on social media and public allegations that put Jackson in the wrong light. was.
He also claimed that the disclosure of his personal information was intended to cause him severe emotional distress.
The Andersons, with the help of their lawyers, asked for $20 million to stop it. He said he feared for his safety and that of his family.
