Jerry Jones paternity suit: What we know about new extortion claim, Alexandra Davis
The Jerry Jones saga took a new turn this week when the owner of the Dallas Cowboys and his legal team alleged extortion by the 25-year-old woman who claims to be his secret daughter.
The 79-year-old is the patriarch of the Cowboys organization, which is worth $6.5 billion and is the most valuable franchise in sports.
The civil lawsuit filed by Alexandra Davis claims that she is the biological daughter of Jones as a result of an affair he had. On Monday, the Jones legal team pushed back, claiming that he and the organization he has led for more than 30 years have been the victim of an extortion scheme. They are seeking to have the paternity suit dismissed.
Here’s what we know so far.
What’s in the Jerry Jones paternity suit?
Alexandra Davis filed the lawsuit March 3 alleging Jones is her father. Her suit claims that her mother, Cynthia Davis, had a relationship with Jones in the mid-1990s and then reached a financial settlement with Jones to support her and her child as long as they didn’t publicly identify him as the father. Jones has been married since 1963.
In the suit, obtained by The Dallas Morning News before it was sealed by a Dallas County judge, Alexandra Davis is asking for the court to find she isn’t legally bound by the agreement, if she can prove that Jones is actually her father.
The lawsuit was sealed on March 9. News broke of the lawsuit broke that day, making national headlines.
Who are Alexandria Davis and Cynthia Davis?
Cynthia Davis, 60, is a Realtor who lives in Frisco, north of Dallas. Alexandra Davis also lives there, according to public records.
In 2012, they starred in the third season of “Big Rich Texas,” a reality show on the Style Network that followed five wealthy mother-daughter duos in the Dallas-Fort Worth social scene. Some of Cynthia’s favorite things to do were day shopping and drinking wine at night, The Dallas Morning News wrote at the time.
“I am a dedicated new home sales professional, an American Patriot, and the mother of an amazing daughter who works in the political arena in D.C.,” Cynthia says about herself in her now-deactivated Twitter profile.
Jones has provided financial support to them since Alexandra’s birth in 1996 and has been in contact with Cynthia, the lawsuit states. Cynthia’s net worth has been estimated to be more than $1 million.
Alexandra Davis, 25, was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, and graduated from Southern Methodist University with a degree in social sciences.
She has campaigned for Gov. Greg Abbott, interned for former Republican U.S. Rep. Marc Thornberry and worked in President Donald Trump’s White House from October 2019 through December 2020, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Since January 2021, Alexandra has been a legislative aide and press assistant for Rep. Ronny Jackson, a Republican from Amarillo.
When did Jerry Jones and Cynthia Davis meet?
Cynthia Davis met Jones in 1995 while she was working at the American Airlines ticket counter at the airport in Little Rock, according to the lawsuit.
At the time of their courtship, Cynthia Davis had been estranged from her husband. Her daughter was conceived out of wedlock in 1996, court documents say. Cynthia Davis filed for divorce shortly after Alexandra was born.
The results of a DNA test during divorce proceedings with Cynthia Davis’ then-husband showed that he was not Alexandra’s father, after which Davis told Jerry Jones he was the father, according to the Dallas Morning News.
Jones told her he was unable to have children and negotiated a financial settlement to “exchange money for silence” in 1998, the lawsuit alleges. Jones paid $375,000 for her confidentiality and set up a trust fund for Alexandra, per the suit.
Davis was also given about $27,000 to help with the divorce and another $30,000 “in good faith,” according to the suit.
Why is the lawsuit against Jerry Jones coming out now?
Alexandra Davis says she “spent her life concealing her father’s identity,” and that Jerry Jones’ only role in her life is to “shun” her and “coerce her from ever disclosing his identity,” per The Dallas Morning News.
It’s unclear why the lawsuit was filed now, but Alexandra Davis mentions her mother’s health concerns and that she fears losing financial support from Jones if she told anyone he was her father.
The case was sealed March 9 due to Jones’ fame and the “sensitive issues” that “could damage Mr. Jones’ reputation,” according to court documents.
“[Davis] doesn’t want to be sued or lose her financial trusts. She is also seeking declaration from the court that such settlement agreements should be ‘unenforceable’ in Texas,” the Dallas Morning News reported.
The only time Davis has revealed to anyone that Jones is her biological father is to the FBI when obtaining clearance to work in the White House, according to the lawsuit.
What has been the response from Jerry Jones?
In an interview with the Star-Telegram, Jones on Monday declined to comment about the lawsuit, saying it was a personal issue. Jones was in Palm Beach, Florida, at the NFL’s annual owners’ meetings which are typically held around this time of year.
But Jones’ attorneys wrote in a court document that Alexandra Davis attempted to extort money from the Cowboys owner before filing the lawsuit.
Jones’ attorneys are seeking a dismissal, arguing that the suit was filed in the wrong court. (They say it should be in family court, not a civil court.)
Andrew Bergman, an attorney for Alexandra Davis, said, “I would challenge Jerry Jones to put up any evidence that anyone demanded any money, period,” according to ESPN. “It’s a shame that Jerry Jones wants to further damage his own daughter by now claiming she is extorting him. I challenge them to put up any evidence that supports either one of these defamatory and false claims.”
ESPN reported that Bergman sent Jones a letter on Jan. 5, saying that if he didn’t receive a response in seven days, he would proceed with legal action.
“I do not feel that it is necessary to go into any detail in explaining why Alexandra believes you are her biological father,” Bergman wrote. “However, Alexandra is more than willing to participate in genetic determination. Texas law provides a relatively simple, non-intrusive, inexpensive, quick procedure for establishing parentage if you are willing to cooperate.”
This story was originally published March 29, 2022 at 5:21 PM.
