EXCLUSIVE
The half-brother of Australian NBA star Ben Simmons has quietly returned to Australia after failing to pay his legal bills – and posted a one-finger salute on social media.
Sean Tribe, who has become a player’s agent in the US, is being sued for more than $100,000 in legal fees he incurred when he sued his half-sister Olivia Simmons over her claims that he abused her when she was a child.
Tribe, 38, returned to Australia last week and shared a series of photos on his Instagram page, including an image of Liberal ACT leader Elizabeth Lee giving her middle finger to reporters.
Tribe also shared a photo of himself posing with former West Coast Eagles AFL player Nic Naitanui at a Perth Wildcats NBL match.
He also posted a photo of beach boxes on the waterfront of Portsea Fishermans Beach, known as a millionaire’s playground, where his mother Julie and stepfather Dave Simmons are said to own a holiday home.
Tribe is one of four children from Julie’s first marriage. She then married Dave Simmons, who was a star in the NBL in the 1990s, and they had two children: Olivia and Ben.
Tribe took legal action against Olivia, 33, for defamation in 2021 after she accused him of abusing her at their family’s Melbourne home.
Tribe won the case, but his high-profile legal team says his bill remains unpaid years later.
Player agent Sean Tribe (center) next to his half-siblings Ben (left) and Olivia (right)
Sean Tribe (pictured left) rubbed the shoulders of former West Coast Eagles AFL player Nic Naitanui during a Perth Wildcats match
Sean Tribe is the older half-brother of NBA superstar Ben Simmons
The law firm – which wishes to remain unnamed – has now launched a new lawsuit against Tribe in Sydney to recover their costs, believed to be in excess of $100,000.
Tribe has not yet filed a defense in the civil suit, according to court records.
The case does not yet have a date for listing but is expected to be heard at the Downing Center in Sydney.
Failure to pay a judgment may result in bankruptcy or recovery proceedings in the United States.
It is believed that an application has been made for substituted service of process on Tribe, who is now based in the US where he lives and works.
The 2021 legal drama played out in the Federal Court of Australia before Judge Michael Lee, following a series of tweets published by Ms Simmons earlier that year.
During the trial, Judge Lee – who also presided over Bruce Lehrmann’s recent defamation case against Network Ten and Lisa WIlkinson – had to make orders preventing the mother-of-two from posting further details about the ‘serious allegations’ until the case was finally decided .
Ms. Simmons was represented by pro bono attorney Sheila Kaur Bain, who is now a judge of the Federal Circuit Court.
Ms Simmons, who played college basketball in the US for the Arizona State Sun Devils, made her false accusations against her half-brother in a series of messages uploaded to Twitter.
‘I’m tired of this facade just because my brother is famous. Real life things happen and I will never be afraid to speak up because money can’t control me,” she wrote.
‘I have asked for therapy, but my family prefers to sweep it under the carpet because it could damage my brother’s name.
“I’ve had PTSD ever since.”
Tribe shared a bizarre image of ACT Liberal leader Elizabeth Lee raising her middle finger at reporters
Tribe shared a photo of the waterfront at Portsea’s Fishermans Beach, known as a millionaire’s playground, where his mother Julie and stepfather Dave Simmons own a holiday home.
Sue Chrysanthou, a celebrity defamation lawyer, was recruited to represent Tribe in court, describing him as a “hard-working Australian” in Philadelphia who was part of his star half-brother’s management team while playing for the 76ers.
Ms Chrysanthou told the court: ‘The allegations about Mr Tribe are extremely serious and are being made on a medium, Twitter, which aims to spread information like a virus.
“These types of accusations, when uploaded to Twitter, can spread like a tentacle within hours and cause instant destruction to someone’s reputation.
“And accusations of the kind we are dealing with, especially in this day and age, cannot be erased after they appear on a medium like Twitter.”
Members of the Tribe family, including his mother, Julianne Simmons, his brother Liam Simmons, sister Emily Bush and his fiancée Diana Ling, have given testimony in court in support of their brother’s hurt feelings and damage to his reputation.
But the family also said they were concerned about Ms Simmons’ mental health, blaming the allegations on false claims about her personal life.
Judge Lee ordered Ms. Simmons to pay $550,000 in compensatory and aggravated damages, but the court said Tribe would not pursue her for the money.
A family photo that Olivia Simmons posted in 2020. From left to right, top to bottom: Ben and their father Dave, their mother Julie, Olivia, Emily Bush and Sean Tribe
Brooklyn Nets points guard Ben Simmons into action
He noted that “while Mr. Tribe relies on this case to do all he reasonably can to restore his reputation and undermine the falsity of the serious allegations against him, he does not intend, at least as currently advised, to enforce the monetary measures. judgment against his half-sister.
The Daily Mail does not know whether the judgment was ultimately enforced against Ms Simmons.
In a statement released by Tribe after the court proceedings, he said: “I am grateful to the court for handling this matter so efficiently with the assistance of my lawyers.”
Tribe is no longer part of Ben Simmons’ management team and now works for the high-profile global sports and entertainment management company You First.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted members of the Tribe family for comment on the bill.