Cowboys owner Jerry Jones’ breach of contract countersuit against a woman who says he's her father and the woman’s mother will be dismissed with prejudice, Jones’ lawyer told KERA News Tuesday — a sudden resolution to more than two years of litigation.
Jones alleged 27-year-old Alexandra Davis and her mother Cynthia Davis Spencer violated a 1998 agreement that barred both women from suing or otherwise attempting to identify Jones as Davis’ father. In exchange, Jones agreed to pay the younger Davis millions over the course of her life. He has denied Davis is his daughter.
Jones' attorney Don Jack took the witness stand Tuesday morning, testifying to the specifics of that settlement, which he negotiated, Courthouse News Service reported.
Chip Babcock with Jackson Walker said after Jack testified, Jones, Davis and her mother had lunch together without their lawyers and reached a resolution announced in open court. As part of the deal, Jones’ suit would be dismissed with prejudice, which means the ruling is final.
Babcock said he didn’t know for sure what happened over lunch, but “there were a lot of smiles in the courtroom.”
“I think once everybody sits down and hears the evidence, maybe they reach an understanding about what was motivating everybody, and maybe they regret that there’s been all this litigation,” he said.
Attorneys for Davis could not be reached for comment.
The 1998 agreement will remain in place. Davis initially sued in 2022, arguing the agreement violated a child’s best interest under Texas law. U.S. District Judge Robert Schroeder of Texarkana ruled state law does allow parents or guardians to enter into agreements on a child's behalf, thus the settlement was valid.
A parentage case in which a Dallas County judge ruled Jones was required to take a paternity test will also be dismissed with prejudice. The defamation claim she filed against Jones has already been dismissed.
“I think he's happy," Babcock said of Jones. "And if my client’s happy, I’m happy."
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