Jerry Jones breaks silence on $1,600,000 lawsuit in paternity trial
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has very much been in the news in recent weeks. Not only is the NFL owner-cum-general manager facing scrutiny over the Cowboys' perceived lack of urgency and direction since free agency, he is also spending a lot of time dealing with legal matters. Well, one in particular.
Jones filed a defamation lawsuit against one Alexandra Davis this year after she alleged that the Cowboys owner was her biological father. Jones' lawsuit – aimed at recovering $1.6 million in attorney charges – went to trial on Monday, July 22, in Texarkana.
It reached a conclusion on Wednesday, July 24, when Davis agreed to drop all charges in the paternity suit. Jones agreed to drop the defamation lawsuit as well. Per Dallas Morning News, Jones told the jury:
"I will tell you that my defendants here were well-meaning. Certainly, in the case of the mom. She is a working mom."
On Thursday, July 25, Jones publicly addressed the media on the paternity case. The Cowboys owner told NFL reporters at a press conference:
"It was resolved. It was unfortunate... I certainly am where I want to be."
Breaking down the matter behind Jerry Jones' paternity trial
Jones' paternity entanglement has its roots in 1998. That year, the Cowboys owner came to an agreement with Alexandra Davis' mother, Cynthia, over annual payments towards her daughter's care.
As part of the agreement, Jones would allegedly pay her $375,000 in addition to "certain annual, monthly and special funding" from a trust until Alexandra Davis turned 21.
While Jones has denied that he is Alexandra Davis' father, her mother testified that he referred to her as his daughter at a Christmas party in the Cowboys Club in 2019.
A Dallas judge ordered Jerry Jones to take a paternity test but at the time of writing, the Cowboys owner has not yet taken one. When pressed by the media at the time, Jones refused to make a comment since it was an ongoing legal matter.
Alexandra Davis herself filed a defamation lawsuit against Jones. However, that case was swiftly dismissed by a federal judge in March.