Ex-Steeler Le'Veon Bell Ordered To Pay $25M After Sex Abuse Claim

PITTSBURGH, PA — An Ohio jury has awarded the cousin of former Steelers star running back Le'Veon Bell a $25 million verdict after she filed a civil lawsuit accusing Bell and his brother of sexually abusing her.

Bell has denied the allegations.

After a damages hearing last month, a jury found that Bell owes his cousin $20 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages, the New York Post reported.

According to a complaint obtained by People, Bell and his brother La'Vonte are accused of having ongoing incestuous relations with his cousin beginning when she was six to seven years old and continuing for roughly a decade.

Bell's attorney, Thomas W. Shaffer, told TMZ that Bell "adamantly denies any and all allegations that have been lodged against him. Further, he was never served with a civil complaint or any documents." Shaffer said a motion will be filed to open and reverse the default judgment "because the merits of the case have never been litigated."

In a live stream on the social media platform Twitch, Bell himself profanely denied the accusations before boasting about the number of sexual partners he has had, the Daily Mail reported.

Bell, 33, was a star running back for the Steelers from 2013-2018. He also played for the New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs during his NFL career.