Le'Veon Bell was one of the most high-profile and productive running backs of his era, a three-time All-Pro over the course a career that spanned a decade, most notably as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
He has over the course of his career and his retirement been a controversial figure, but never more so that now, as the 33-year-old Bell has just lost a civil judgement in court this week for $25 million as a result of a claim from a cousin that he repeatedly raped her when he was under the age of 18.
Bell didn't show up for the trial as a jury awarded the cousin $25 million - $20 million in compensatory damages plus $5 million in punitive damages to the female victim.
Bell's younger brother, La'Vonte, was also found to owe the victim more than $11 million in damages.
Bell apparently never officially responded to the lawsuit and as a result, last October, a judge entered a default judgement.
The defense from Le'Veon Bell is one that legal experts find bothersome, as Bell's explanation for it all is that he was never properly notified of the lawsuit or of the court hearing.
"My client adamantly denies any and all allegations that have been lodged against him," Bell's attorney Thomas W. Shaffer told TMZ. "Further, he was never served with a civil complaint or any documents. The default judgment granted was based upon violations of his Fifth Amendment rights of due process for failing to be served.
"My client is in the process of filing a motion to open and reverse the default judgment because the narratives of the case have never been litigated."
The accusations are of course highly disturbing. And on another level, the idea that Bell over the course of months and months had no awareness of the legal proceedings is one that legal experts find to be dubious.
Those experts tell us that the court typically does not move forward in a civil suit like this without confidence that the accused has been officially notified of proceedings.
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This story was originally published March 13, 2025 at 3:27 PM.