Jordan Paternity Case Dismissed Without Prejudice
Attorneys for the woman who filed a paternity lawsuit against basketball great Michael Jordan revealed that the woman has decided to withdraw the suit. She was seeking child support and other expenses from the former star.
The case was centered around Pamela Smith and her 16-year-old son, whom Smith claimed was fathered by Jordon in 1995 during a one-time encounter.
Smith's attorney, Randy Kessler, stated that the case was dismissed without prejudice, which leaves the door open should Smith decided to re-file the suit at a later time.
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"She then hired our firm just before the first court appearance. Ms. Smith has relied on our advice and determined that dismissal at this time, without prejudice, is in her son's best interests," Kessler told the court.
Jordan's spokeswoman, Estee Portnoy, explained that there was no financial settlement reached that contributed to the suit being withdrawn.
The story has been circulating in part because of the media attention brought to the suit. There were also several public comments by Smith demanding that Jordan admit he was the boy's father.
Previous reports indicated that attorneys on Jordan's legal team had talked to Smith and that she had admitted during a prior divorce proceeding that her ex-husband was the young man's father, leading Jordan's attorneys to become skeptical of Smith's claims.
The suit's dismissal was an unexpected move, given that Smith had recently asked the court to order a DNA test as evidence in the paternity case, according to entertainment website TMZ.
Public attention was brought to the case after a video posted on YouTube last December showed Smith's son, Taj, accusing Jordan for not coming out publically and admitting he was his father.
Taj went on to add in the video that Jordan had been involved in his life and was there to support him, often visiting him and briefly supporting him financially.
