CHICAGO – Michael Jordan filed a lawsuit Wednesday claiming a woman was trying to extort $5 million from him to keep quiet about a relationship they had more than 10 years ago.
The basketball star acknowledged in the lawsuit that he had had a relationship with the woman and paid her $250,000 "under threat of publicly exposing that relationship."
But Jordan, who plays for the Washington Wizards but spent most of his career with the Chicago Bulls, said he never agreed to pay any more than that. The lawsuit claims that the woman attempted to extort the additional money from Jordan through her attorneys. Her lawyers were not named in the paperwork.
Jordan's attorney, Frederick Sperling, refused to say whether the athlete took the allegations to the police. He also refused to answer any questions about the nature of the relationship.
"The complaint says everything Michael has to say," Sperling said.
Jordan would not comment about the lawsuit after an exhibition game in Detroit on Wednesday. "That's private," he said. "That's totally private."
Chicago Police had no knowledge of a criminal complaint filed, and local prosecutors said no charges were filed.
Jordan and his wife, Juanita, have been married more than 12 years. She filed for divorce last January. But the Jordans withdrew the divorce case one month later and said they were attempting a reconciliation.
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