Former NFL running back Le’Veon Bell has been ordered to pay $25 million to a female relative who claims he repeatedly sexually abused her, an Ohio jury determined last month.
In a lawsuit filed in March of 2024, the victim accused Bell and his younger brother, La’Vonte, of engaging in nonconsensual sexual relations that began when she was 6 or 7 years old and “continued through at least 2017,” four years after Bell was drafted into the NFL and lived out of the area. The abuse would continue when Bell returned home to Ohio, according to the suit.
Le’Veon Bell’s former high school, Groveport Madison (located just outside of Columbus, Ohio), removed his name from the stadium following the result of the civil suit. In 2017, Bell reportedly donated $750,000 to the school to cover the installation of synthetic turf. The field was then renamed after him.
“In light of a civil suit that found Mr. Bell liable for over $25 million for serious misconduct involving a minor, the district determined that continuing to honor the naming rights agreement was no longer appropriate or aligned with the values of Groveport Madison Schools,” a school spokesperson said in a release.
Le’Veon Bell’s lawyer, Thomas…
