Forgotten but hardly gone, the litigation between Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant and Texas state senator Royce West has returned to the front burner, at least for now.
West has filed a motion for sanctions against Bryant, based on the counterclaim filed by Bryant in response to West’s lawsuit seeking compensation for damage done to rental property. West wants Bryant’s counterclaim to be dismissed, reimbursement for the legal fees incurred in connection with defending against the counterclaim, and an order requiring Bryant to donate $500,000 to the United Negro College Fund as punishment for his allegedly frivolous claims.
The case started with West seeking payment from Bryant of $60,000, the alleged damage that Bryant did to property rented from West. Bryant, in lieu of defending the case on its merits, asserted claims against West based on allegations that West connected Bryant with David Wells, a non-party whose name appears prominently in the litigation, that West “absconded” with more than $200,000 in money owed to Bryant from endorsement deals and other agreements, that West received more than $300,000 in compensation while West “simultaneously was breaching his fiduciary duties and other obligations to Bryant.”
The 20-page brief consists primarily of perfunctory legal mumbo-jumbo aimed at persuading a judge to grant the requested relief. But there are a few interesting nuggets lurking in the materials.
First, Bryant texted West after filing the counterclaim and said, “I wish you thought about it before you thought it was a smart idea to go after me.”
West responded by saying, “I wish you had personally come to me to discuss the damages done to the house.”
Bryant’s reply: “Naw it’s too late for that… How you forget about all of the sh-t y’all put me through… I left that sh-t along [sic] because I wanted to forget about it.. I no longer have sympathy for y’all people.. Just know you started this.”
Second, West attaches to his submission a 2012 “Security Detail and Consultant Agreement” between Bryant and Wells. The document contains plenty of intriguing terms.
The agreement begins by detailing Wells’ responsibilities in connection with then-pending criminal charges arising from allegations that Bryant assaulted his mother. As part of the agreement with Wells, Bryant agreed to a 12:00 a.m. curfew, with limited exceptions, agreed to attend “[a]bsolutely NO Clubs, Strip Clubs, or Parties,” and agreed to submit to random alcohol and drug testing.
As part of the deal, Bryant received 24-hour security services via a three-man crew, at a cost of $16,986.66 per month. The security detail agreed to drive Bryant to all practices and games, with “no friends or family loitering in any facilities.”
Bryant also agreed to pay for the installation of surveillance cameras in his home, with Wells being made specifically aware of “ALL visits to AND/OR from Ilyne Nash and Angela Bryant.” (Angela Bryant is Dez’s mother; if Nash’s name sounds familiar, here’s why.) Bryant agreed to make Wells aware of Bryant’s whereabouts at all times, and to apprise Wells of all “relationships, personal, professional, and acquaintances that will occupy Mr. Bryant for more than just a ‘meet and greet.'”
At some point after that, the professional relationship between Wells and Bryant deteriorated, as did the relationship between West and Bryant. Despite the potential collateral damage Wells and/or West possibly could do to Bryant based on the things they may know based on their work with him, Bryant did not abandon his claims against West before West made the next public move in a lawsuit that could get a lot uglier, if cooler heads don’t soon prevail.