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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

ESPN Analyst Says Man Lied About Gay Affair

ATLANTA (CN) - Former NFL quarterback Kordell Stewart claims in court that "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" cast member Andrew Caldwell lied when he said the two men had a sexual relationship.

Stewart, a 10-year veteran of the NFL and current ESPN analyst, was formerly married to "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" star Porsha Williams and appeared on the show himself.

As a result, their marriage and 2013 divorce received significant attention on the Bravo network show and other media outlets.

But in a complaint filed in Dekalb County superior court on Tuesday, Stewart says he got more unwanted attention than he bargained for after Caldwell was offered his own show, "The Gospel Truth."

As described in the complaint, Caldwell initially gained notoriety after appearing at a Church of God in Christ convocation in 2014 and declaring the church had "delivered" him from homosexuality.

Stewart claims that in order to generate interest in "The Gospel Truth," defendant Jarrius Keyun Moon "collude with Mr. Caldwell to publish rumors about Mr. Stewart, with the goal of formulating and popularizing their intended storyline for Mr. Caldwell."

"Those false and defamatory rumors that Mr. Caldwell and Defendant Moon agreed to publish are centered about Mr. Stewart having an extra-marital, sexual relationship with Mr. Caldwell," the complaint says.

To carry out their scheme, Stewart says, Caldwell appeared on "The ShakeUp," an internet morning show produced by defendant Catalyst Next, and claimed that he had a relationship with Stewart.

According to the complaint, during the interview, Caldwell said, "I dated plenty of football players."

"I dated some in Atlanta. I dated, you know, Kordell. Yes. Kordell Stewart," he continued.

The interviewer is then said to have asked, "Did you know Kordell was married to Porsha?"

Caldwell then says he did, and then goes on to describe how they met in a bar.

"It was only a one-time thing," Caldwell says about 10 minutes into the interview, later recalling that when he found out Stewart had been a football player, he "was like mmm, I like football players," the complaint says.

"Mr. Caldwell knowingly and maliciously published the aforementioned false statements about Mr. Stewart during the Interview," Stewart says.

He says Catalyst Next also acted "maliciously and recklessly" airing Caldwell's statements "without acting reasonably to verify those statements despite entertaining serious doubt about the truth of the statements."

Stewart says after the interview was published, several other website picked up the story, including Radar Online, Bossip, The Grio, Inquisitr, and Straight From The A.

Compounding his injury, Stewart says, is that as the story went viral, Caldwell admitted it wasn't true and apologized on the online blog, "The Shade Room."

Despite Caldwell's admission, Catalyst Next continues to use the original interview on its website and its YouTube channel, the Stewart says.

"As a result of the Defendants' continuous intentional and malicious conduct, Mr. Stewart has been subject to public embarrassment and ridicule as the statements have operated to impair his career, damage his reputation, and cause acute anguish to him and his family," the complaint says.

Stewart is seeking compensatory, special and punitive damages on claims of defamation, false light, and negligence.

He is represented by Alcide Honore of Hooper & Honore in Atlanta.

In a statement provided to Courthouse News, Catalyst Next, said it has been notified "from unofficial sources that we have been named as a defendant in a defamation lawsuit filed by former NFL veteran Kordell Stewart, in DeKalb County, Ga. on October 27, 2015."

"Catalyst Next condemns and vehemently denies the baseless and meritless allegations that it or any of its properties has defamed or maliciously attacked the character or lifestyle of Kordell Stewart," the company's statement says. "Catalyst Next operates BossFM, a digital media network that provides high quality digital content via mobile, web streaming and video streaming platforms. On a routine basis, our network conducts interviews with persons of interest, celebrities and artists.

"During a scheduled one hour long, live interview conducted on October 1, 2015, on "The ShakeUp Morning Show," Andrew Caldwell made comments on a personal relationship of his, which we believed to be truthful. In line, with our standard practices, the interview was posted on our web and social media platforms, promoted and shared. Catalyst Next has no affiliation or relationship of record with Andrew Caldwell, Jarrius K. Moon or Kordell Stewart. Our attempts to reach Kordell Stewart for clarification or comment have gone repeatedly unanswered."

The statement adds: "Once officially served, Catalyst Next legal counsel will respond accordingly."

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