Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson said Thursday that he and his family were the targets of an extortion attempt related to an extramarital affair he had six years ago.
The Smoking Gun reported that a 28-year-old former stripper, Alexis Adams, possessed nude photographs of Jackson and wanted money to keep the photos from becoming public.
Adams and an alleged co-conspirator, 40-year-old Marcus Shaw, were named in felony criminal complaints for their alleged roles in an extortion scheme, according to online records filed with the U.S. District Court in Oakland. The documents don’t identify Jackson as the victim but The Smoking Gun said it was Jackson.
Adams was released on $25,000 bail but Shaw remains jailed because he has a prior conviction for aggravated robbery in 1996, according to court documents.
An attorney could not immediately be found for either.
In a statement released by the team, Jackson said the extramarital affair occurred when he was still working as an ESPN/ABC broadcaster.
He said a man approached him this past April 3 at the team hotel in Memphis when Golden State was there to play the Grizzlies and demanded “a substantial sum of money” or he’d sell “personal information” to a tabloid.
Jackson said he “regrettably” paid the man, calling it “a terrible lapse in judgment and a course of action I would not recommend to anyone.” After the man emailed him two weeks later and called his wife asking for more money, Jackson said, he informed the team about the situation.
The Warriors said they immediately contacted the FBI.
Jackson said he made his wife aware of the affair years ago and the two reconciled. Jackson, coming off a 23-43 record in his first season as a head coach, is also an ordained minister. He leads a non-denominational congregation with his wife, Desiree, in the Los Angeles suburb of Van Nuys. The couple has four children.
“I recognize the extremely poor judgment that I used both in having an affair six years ago — including the embarrassing communication I exhibited during that time — and in attempting to deal with the extortion scheme at first by myself,” Jackson said in the statement. “I made some egregious errors. I apologize for any embarrassment I may have caused my family, friends and, of course, the Warriors.
“At that time in my life, I was not pastoring. Three years ago, my wife and I established a ministry. With deepest regret, I want to apologize to my Church Family. I was wrong. We must live Holy.”
The team also released a statement supporting Jackson but denouncing his extramarital affair.
“Although not condoning his previous actions that led to the extortion attempt,” the statement read, “the Warriors fully support Coach Jackson during this time and thank law enforcement authorities and the FBI for their prompt assistance in helping Coach Jackson and his family.”
