Fletcher Cox is well-known for his outstanding performance for the Philadelphia Eagles. In 2017, though, he made headlines for something quite different and unexpected. A man called Joshua Jeffords sued the NFL player for seducing his wife.
The litigation was lengthy and drew a lot of attention. Here’s everything you need to know.
The Seducing Someone’s Wife Lawsuit
According to TMZ, Jeffords sued Cox for having a “adulterous affair” with his wife, Catherine, on November 22, 2017. He further stated that he had evidence that the NFL player had seduced his wife.
Cox and Catherine’s physical and emotional interactions apparently began after the latter traveled to Philadelphia on business.
Even after Catherine returned to North Carolina, the two continued to have an affair. According to Jeffords, they kept in touch via Snapchat and text messages during their long-distance relationship. In the case, Jeffords revealed certain text messages in which Cox nicknamed the former’s wife “boo.”
Similarly, in other text exchanges, Cox expressed his desire to get Catherine pregnant. He also sent the latter a Snapchat photo of his genitalia.
“I want to get you pregnant,” and “You ain’t going to be no damn single mom,” according to text texts revealed by Jeffords from Cox to his wife.
Jeffords’ connection with his wife was strained as a result of the affair. He claimed she had blocked him on Instagram and would not stop cheating on him.
Jeffords blamed Cox, claiming that he had damaged his relationship and marriage as a result of him. As a result, he filed a lawsuit against the Eagles’ defensive tackle for affection alienation.
What Is Affection Alienation?
Alienation of affection occurs when a spouse takes a stand against a third party who is threatening to sue them. If their partners deprive them of love, the stated spouse can do so.
In-laws or an extramarital romantic partner are examples of third-parties. North Carolina is one of the few states in the United States that allows a spouse to sue for affection alienation. However, there are a few requirements that must be met. Some of these are: marriage must be valid, love between spouses was broken and alienated, and a third party was the cause of relationship breakdown.
Similarly, the third party’s malicious behavior must have occurred before the couple divorced. Then alienation must result in particular consequences, such as the dissolution of a marriage, depression, and financial loss, among others.
Jeffords stated that he satisfied these criteria, and that the affair caused him to be estranged from his wife. He demanded at least $50,000 in damages from the NFL player.
The Settlement and the Denial
Cox disputed and refuted all of the claims leveled against him. He pretended to be Catherine’s girlfriend, but he never tried to seduce her.
Instead, they had a mutually beneficial connection. According to documents submitted by the footballer’s lawyer, the relationship was “not the consequence of seduction,” according to TMZ on January 18, 2018. Similarly, it stated that Cox was not a home wrecker and that he and Catherine had a “mutual attraction.” Catherine “knowingly and actively consented to the relationship,” according to the report.
He admitted to sending Catherine explicit texts, but said they never had a sexual relationship. He was completely unaware that she had a husband because she never mentioned it.
Jeffords was urged by the NFL player to have the lawsuit dismissed. He also requested the court to order Jeffords to pay for his legal fees.
Cox and Jeffords reached an agreement after a long back-and-forth. They claimed they had reached an impasse, but a few weeks later, in July/August 2018, they reached a mediated settlement. The terms of the mediation and settlement, however, are undisclosed.
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