Pittsburgh Steelers running back and Ohio native has been found liable for $25 million in damages for rape and sexual assault.
A former Pittsburgh Steelers running back and Ohio native has been found liable for $25 million in damages for rape and sexual assault.
In a case brought to the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, Le’Veon Bell was said to have
engaged in non consensual sex with his younger cousin when she was a minor. She is seven years younger than Bell and stated that this abuse spanned a decade.
His brother, La'Vonte Bell, is also involved and has been ordered to pay $11 million in damages.
The survivor states that the two brothers sexually abused her beginning at the age of six or seven and continued to do so through at least 2017. She says this abuse was frequent and occurred each time Le’Veon visited his Central Ohio home.
Le’Veon Bell did not respond to the lawsuit that was filed in March 2024. In October 2024, a default judgment was entered and a trial proceeded without his presence. After a damages hearing on February 26, the jury awarded a $25 million verdict to Bell’s cousin.
"My client adamantly denies any and all allegations that have been lodged against him. Further, he was never served with a civil complaint or any documents,” Le’Veon’s attorney said in a statement.
He believes that the default judgment granted to his client was “based upon violations of his Fifth Amendment rights of due process for failing to be served.” Bell is currently attempting to “open and reverse the default judgment.”
Legal documents state that none of the encounters between the Bell brothers and their cousin were consensual. They “happened with such frequency as to habitualize the plaintiff to the abuse.” Factors used to force Le’Veon Bell’s cousin to engage in these acts included “age disparity, physical size, familial relations, access to her home, and grooming.”
Le’Veon Bell continued to deny the allegations on an hour-long livestream, saying this: “The same cousin that was at all my football games. Do y’all think Le’Veon Bell, do I need to force myself upon a woman? I don’t.” He went on to claim that he has “slayed so many women” throughout his past sexual encounters.
The survivor has “suffered extreme and ongoing mental anguish and distress” as a result of the sexual abuse she has faced and her quality of life has been affected tremendously. Her attorney maintains that the court filings were served legally under Ohio law.
Authors: Andy Goldwasser and Alexis Kabat
