TEXARKANA, Texas (CN) — Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones Faces Character Attacks in $1.6M Paternity Dispute Trial
Billionaire Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, endured harsh insults and character attacks on Monday during a civil trial initiated by Alexandra Davis, who claims to be his daughter.
Jones is seeking $1.6 million in attorney fees incurred while defending against Davis’ claims.
During opening statements, Davis’ attorney emphasized Jones’ deposition statement, where he expressed indifference about being Davis’ father, focusing instead on “protecting his real family.”
“That’s a very Jones thing to do,” defense attorney Jay Gray remarked, pointing at a stoic Jones.
“This case is about broken promises,” Gray continued, referencing promises Jones allegedly broke to his wife. “Alex Davis never promised anything; a 2-year-old child cannot promise anything.”
The courtroom was crowded with over 50 members of the press, witnesses, and attorney staff.
Representing Jones, Charles Babcock noted that Davis had repeatedly asked Jones for money since turning 18 in 2014. “Mr. Jones finally said, ‘Enough is enough, too much is too much,’” Babcock stated.
Jones had an affair with Davis’ mother, Cynthia Davis-Spencer, in the 1990s. Despite denying he is Davis’ father, Jones and Davis-Spencer entered a settlement and confidentiality agreement in 1998, with Jones paying millions for Davis’ benefit over the years.
Davis and her mother appeared on the reality TV show “Big Rich Texas,” and Davis later worked as a congressional staffer. After turning 18, Davis began a legal campaign against Jones, seeking to nullify the settlement in 2022, but dropped the case before a ruling.
Jones claims the confidentiality agreement was breached when Davis’ lawsuit identified him as her father, seeking reimbursement for his legal defense costs.
In February, a judge ordered Jones to take a paternity test, and an appeal is pending. Davis also sued Jones for defamation in 2023, with the judge dismissing parts of the case, noting Davis’ status as a limited public figure and her monetary requests from Jones between 2017 and 2021.
Jones filed a counterclaim in May 2023, asserting the settlement agreement remains binding. He detailed payments totaling approximately $3.2 million made to Davis, including for a Range Rover, a “sweet 16″ party, and her education.
Jones claimed payments stopped when Davis turned 21, and that Davis sought an additional $20 million in 2017, disregarding the prior agreement.
Gray countered, saying Davis did not know Jones was her father until she was 8 and had to keep his identity secret due to the settlement terms.
“We can’t make him a good man or a good father,” Gray said of Jones. “We don’t have to help him bully his daughter.”
The trial, expected to last a week, will determine whether Davis ratified the settlement when she turned 18. Potential witnesses include Jones’ wife Eugenia and their children, Stephen, Jerry Jr., and Charlotte, who are also Dallas Cowboys executives and co-owners.
Jones purchased the Cowboys in 1989 for $140 million, and Forbes recently valued the team at $9 billion.
