Stay Connected
Atlanta Black Star/Local
Local

Michael Jordan Paternity Suit Dropped

Posted byBy ABS Contributor | Published on: CommentsComments (1)

A metro Atlanta mom who claimed her 16-year-old son was fathered by NBA great Michael Jordan is dropping a paternity lawsuit against the sports legend.

“Ms. Smith has authorized a dismissal of the current suit against Mr. Jordan,” Pamela Y. Smith’s attorney, Randall M. Kessler told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution via email on Monday.

A YouTube video that her son posted earlier this year prompted the divorced mother to file a paternity claim against Jordan, 50, in Fulton County Superior Court.

Jordan countersued, showing via his attorney that the teen’s parentage had been established in a 2003 divorce case in which Smith acknowledged that her son was fathered by her now ex-husband, Glennville G. Reynolds.

The two sides met in court last week for a status hearing, with the promise that they would return should they be unable to resolve their differences independent of a judge’s ruling. Jordan was not present at the hearing.

Monday, Kessler said his client had made a final decision.

“Ms. Smith has relied on our advice and determined that dismissal at this time, without prejudice, is in her son’s best interest,” he said.

It is unclear whether there was a settlement that prompted Smith’s decision to drop the paternity suit.

Source: AJC

Independent journalism doesn't fund itself.

We hope this story was worth your time. For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed Black-owned and independently run. We didn't get here by waiting on ad budgets that were never built to prioritize us. Our readers did that.

Corporate support for Black media has always been thin. Outlets like ours get roughly 1% of the $170 billion spent on U.S. advertising each year, and that margin is shrinking further as advertisers walk back the DEI-linked commitments they made in 2020. That's the backdrop. It's not why we're asking.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Give once Give monthly Support another way

Related Stories

Back to top