MARIETTA, Ga. — Former professional football and baseball player Bo Jackson is giving up his career A $21 million judgment against his niece and nephew, who he said harassed him and tried to extort money from him.
A judge ruled in favor of Jackson in February in the lawsuit he filed in April 2023 against Thomas Lee Anderson and Erica M. Anderson, also known as Erica Anderson Ross. Jackson, a running back who won the Heisman Trophy at Auburn and also played in both the NFL and MLB, had alleged in his lawsuit that his family members tried to extort $20 million from him through intimidation and intimidation.
In addition to the monetary award, last year’s ruling also included a permanent protective order banning his niece and nephew from harassing or contacting him and his immediate family. They were also told to stay at least 500 yards (meters) from the Jacksons and delete social media posts about them.
Cobb County Superior Court Judge Jason D. Marbutt said in his February order that neither Jackson’s niece and nephew nor their attorneys refuted Jackson’s claims or participated in the case after a hearing in May 2023, when they agreed with a temporary protective order. The judge found the Andersons at fault and accepted all of Jackson’s allegations as true.
After that ruling was issued, a new attorney for the Andersons filed a motion in March to set aside that ruling and dismiss the lawsuit, court records show. In a filing Tuesday, Jackson and the Andersons jointly asked the judge to dismiss the February order, withdraw the Andersons’ pending motions and enter a consent judgment.
“In the interim, the parties have conducted two mediations and reached a private agreement to resolve this dispute,” the filing said.
Marbutt issued an order Wednesday at the request of Jackson and his niece and nephew, reversing his February ruling.
That consent judgment rules in Jackson’s favor on several counts and dismisses others, awards no damages to Jackson or his niece and nephew and says the parties will pay their own attorneys’ fees. It also says the Andersons must not harass or intimidate Jackson or his wife and children and must stay 500 yards away from them except in certain circumstances, including court appearances, sporting events and family gatherings. The Andersons are also not allowed to have any contact with Jackson and his wife and children.
Jackson, 62, had alleged that the harassment began in 2022 and included threatening messages and social media posts, public accusations that painted him in a false light. He also claimed that the disclosure of private information was intended to cause him severe emotional distress. With the help of a lawyer, the Andersons demanded $20 million to quit. He said he feared for his own safety and that of his family.