Las Vegas Raiders veteran, Auburn football legend awarded $21 million in extortion lawsuit against relatives

Bo Jackson, a former football player for the Auburn Tigers and star of the Las Vegas Raiders, was awarded $21 million in a lawsuit against his niece and nephew, who attempted to blackmail the former MLB player and NFL player.

Bo Jackson gained notoriety at the height of his career with the catchphrase from one of his famous commercials, “Bo knows.” The two-sport star would display fictitious abilities in numerous other sports and professions in the well-known series of advertisements. It appears that this past week demonstrated Bo’s legal knowledge as well.

Following the conclusion of a civil case late last week, Jackson was found liable for $21 million in damages by a jury. The plaintiffs were his niece Erica M. Anderson Ross and nephew Thomas Lee Anderson. The Anderson siblings must also remove any social media posts about Jackson and his immediate family and maintain a minimum distance of 500 yards from the athlete, according to the ruling.

Relatives tried to extort former Las Vegas Raiders and Kansas City Royals star of $20 million

The suit filed this past April claimed that the Andersons tried to use harassment and intimidation tactics to extort the 61-year-old out of $20 million. The incidents of harassment and intimidation date back to 2022.

Jackson claimed that his niece and nephew contacted him and his immediate family on social media platforms and in direct messages over the last two years and threatened to disclose allegations against their uncle that would damage his reputation. The suit also claimed they had planned to publicize private details meant to cause him “severe emotional distress.”

The siblings also threatened to appear at locations near Jackson’s home to specifically intimidate and harass him, as well as appear at a charity event he was hosting. The court found that there was no reasonable purpose for the actions, and despite a cease and desist letter from the sports star’s attorneys, the intimidation tactics by the Andersons did not cease.

“The court saw evidence that an attorney representing defendants claimed his clients’ conduct would cease for the sum of $20 million,” Superior Court Judge Jason D. Marbutt said in his ruling.

“Unfortunately for those attempting to extort $20 million from Jackson and his family, Bo still hits back hard,” Jackson’s attorneys said Monday in a news release following the verdict.

Jackson rose to fame as a two-sport star for the Auburn Tigers. He would eventually become an elite talent for the Raiders and Royals before a knee injury limited him to being just a baseball player with diminished athleticism.