Bo Jackson received $21 million in Georgia blackmail, stalking case

Content of the article

ATLANTA – Former professional baseball and football player Vincent “Bo” Jackson, a Heisman Trophy-winning running back at Auburn, has been awarded a $21 million judgment in a civil case against his niece and nephew for allegedly attempting to extort him.

Content of the article

The Feb. 2 ruling includes a permanent protective order barring Thomas Lee Anderson and his sister Erica Anderson Ross from further disturbing or contacting Jackson and his immediate family. The Andersons must also stay at least 500 yards away from the Jacksons and remove any content about them from social media, news outlets reported.

Content of the article

A lawsuit filed in April alleged that Jackson's relatives tried to extort $20 million from him through harassment and intimidation.

“Unfortunately, Beau will still face a heavy penalty for trying to extort $20 million from Jackson and his family,” Jackson's attorneys, Robert Ingram and David Conley, said in a press release about the case on Monday.

Jackson, 61, said the harassment began in 2022 and included threatening posts and messages to her on social media, public accusations that exposed her in a false light and disclosure of personal information that caused her severe emotional distress, WSB-TV reported. He said Thomas Anderson said he would post Jackson's photos, text and medical records on Facebook to “show America he's not playing.”

Content of the article

Content of the article

The Andersons, with the help of an Atlanta attorney, sought the money to end their actions, Jackson said. He said they came to a restaurant near his home and threatened to disrupt a fundraiser he held in Auburn in April as a means of harassment and intimidation.

In court, Jackson feared for his safety and that of his immediate family. He sought a protective order against the Andersons, as well as unspecified damages for intentional infliction of emotional distress and invasion of privacy. Jackson also filed a civil conspiracy claim against the brothers.

The court found that the actions had no legitimate purpose and that the threats and harassment continued even after receiving a cease and desist letter from Jackson's attorneys.

Content of the article

Cobb County Superior Court Judge Jason D. In his order, Marbutt said neither the Andersons nor their attorneys denied Jackson's claims or participated in the case after agreeing to a temporary protective order after a May 2023 hearing, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. The judge accepted all of Jackson's allegations as true and found the Andersons in default, the newspaper said.

“Reasonable people would find the defendants' conduct outrageous and outrageous,” Marbutt wrote. “The court found that the attorney representing the defendants claimed that $20 million would result in the termination of their client's actions.”

Content of the article