Woman refiles defamation lawsuit against Jerry Jones, associates - ESPN

A woman who says she is the daughter of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has refiled a defamation case against the billionaire and two associates, alleging that they hatched a plan to portray her as an «extortionist.»

Federal Judge Robert W. Schroeder III last month tossed out much of the defamation lawsuit filed by Alexandra Davis, a 26-year-old congressional aide, against Jones, his longtime personal lawyer Donald P. Jack and Jim Wilkinson, a communications consultant for the Jones family.

Davis originally sued Jones in March 2022 to seek recognition as his biological daughter. Her defamation claim this past March accused Jones and his representatives of waging a public campaign that attacked her character «based knowingly on false statements and accusations.»

In his 36-page order, Schroeder said he determined that some of the alleged defamatory statements about Davis, published in two ESPN stories about the case, were either true or were «not defamatory.» He also ruled that Davis qualified as a «limited public figure» and as such had failed to make a valid claim of actual malice, a requirement under defamation law.

However, the judge gave Davis' lawyers an opportunity to refile their complaint about comments that appeared in one of the two ESPN stories, published March 31, 2022. That new complaint alleges Wilkinson and Jack falsely accused Davis «of being an extortionist and portrayed Plaintiff as attempting to 'shakedown' Defendant Jones.»

«Throughout their smear campaign against Plaintiff, Defendants either knew the statements being made by them were false or they knew enough facts such that they should have entertained serious doubts as to the truth of their defamatory statements,» the new complaint alleges.

Wilkin