Eagles’ Fletcher Cox Was Once Sued by a Man for Seducing His Wife
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Fletcher Cox usually makes headlines for his excellent record for the Philadelphia Eagles.
But in 2017, he was on the news for something completely different and unexpected. The NFL player was sued by a man named Joshua Jeffords for seducing his wife.
The lawsuit was elaborate and made headlines for a long time. Here is everything about it.
The Lawsuit for Seducing Somebody's Wife
On November 22, 2017, TMZ reported Jeffords sued Cox for having an "adulterous affair" with his wife, Catherine. Additionally, he claimed he had evidence against the NFL player for seducing his wife.
Both physical and emotional relationships between Cox and Catherine allegedly started after the latter went to Philadelphia for a business trip.
The two continued their affair even after Catherine came back home to North Carolina.
According to Jeffords, they maintained their long-distance relationship via Snapchat and text messages. Jeffords mentioned some of the text messages in the lawsuit where Cox called the former's wife "boo."
Fletcher Cox posing on his Philadelphia Eagles' outfit. (Source: Instagram)
Similarly, there were other text messages where Cox said he wanted to get Catherine pregnant. Moreover, he sent the latter a picture of his genitalia on Snapchat.
The text messages provided by Jeffords from Cox to his wife allegedly says, "I want to get you pregnant," and "You ain't gone be no damn single mom," among others.
As a result of the affair, Jeffords' relationship with his spouse was strained. He claimed she blocked him on Instagram and refused to stop the cheating.
Jeffords blamed Cox, noting that his relationship and marriage were destroyed because of him. Therefore, he sued the Eagles' defensive tackle for alienation of affection.
What Is Alienation of Affection?
Alienation of affection is a stance taken by a spouse against a third party to sue them. The said spouse can do so if they are deprived of love by their partners.
The third-party may include people like the in-laws or extramarital romantic partner. North Carolina is one of the few states in the USA that allows a spouse to sue on the grounds of alienation of affection.
Fletcher Cox posing for a photo. (Source: Instagram)
However, there are a few elements that need to be fulfilled. Some of them are — the marriage must be valid, love between partners was destroyed and alienated, and the third party was the reason behind the destruction of relationships.
Similarly, the malicious behavior of the third party must have occurred before the spouses separated. Then, alienation has to cause certain damages like the end of marriage, depression, and economic loss, among others.
Jeffords claimed he met these requirements, and the affair caused him to be alienated from his wife. He sought at least $50,000 from the NFL player for the damages.
The Denial and Settlement
Cox denied all the allegations placed on him and refuted them. He claimed Catherine was his girlfriend, but he never seduced her.
Instead, their relationship was mutual. TMZ reported on January 18, 2018, that documents filed by the footballer's lawyer claimed that the relationship was "not the result of seduction."
Similarly, it noted that Cox was not a homewrecker, and he had a "mutual attraction" with Catherine. Furthermore, it said that Catherine "knowingly and voluntarily consented to the relationship."
Fletcher Cox with his current girlfriend, Kaycee Marchetti. (Source: Instagram)
He admitted to sending explicit texts to Catherine but pointed out that they never had a physical relationship. He never knew she had a husband since she never mentioned it.
The NFL player asked Jeffords to get the case dismissed. Moreover, he asked the court to make Jeffords pay for his lawyers.
After a constant back and forth, Cox and Jeffords agreed to a settlement. They claimed they had hit an impasse, and a couple of weeks after that, they had a mediated settlement in July/August 2018.
However, it is unknown what the terms of the mediation and settlement were.