Jerry Jones countersuit against woman underway – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is suing the 27-year-old woman who claims he is her father. Jones alleges that Alexandra Davis and her mother, Cynthia Davis, breached a contract dating back to 1998.

No cameras are allowed in the Texarkana Federal Courthouse.

Day one began with opening arguments from Charles Babcock, who represents Jones. Babcock told the jury of five women and three men that “details matter.” Babcock asked the jury to focus on the details of the agreement Cynthia and Jones signed to waive legal action regarding Alexandra, who was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1996.

Babcock described the timeline of how Cynthia and Jones met in 1996 when she was working as a ticket attendant at the airport in Little Rock, Arkansas. Babcock told the jury that Cynthia was married. However, the agreement to remain silent did not come into effect until 1998.

Babcock told the jury that the agreement specified that Davis and her daughter could not sue Jones for any of the things described in the document. Babcock claimed that Alexandra’s two lawsuits against Jones breached the contract.

Jones is now seeking more than $1 million in damages in attorney fees he paid to defend himself against Alexandra.

Meanwhile, attorney Kris Hayes told the jury the costs could have been avoided. Hays is representing Cynthia.

“All he had to do was take a DNA paternity test,” Hayes said.

Hayes called Jones “vindictive” and a “bully.”

In February this year, Jones was ordered by the court to undergo a paternity test to determine if he is the father of the 27-year-old.

“He’s bullying his daughter,” Hayes said. “We can’t make him a good parent. We can’t make him a good person. Alexandra is just happy to be in the same room with her dad, despite the bully he is.”

Jones denies being Alexandra’s father.

Babcock told the jury that unlike Cynthia and her daughter, Jones held up his end of the bargain. According to court documents, Jones agreed to two trusts to provide future support to Alexandra, paid for her education, made monthly payments and allegedly doubled the amount the state of Arkansas would have required for financial support of a child.

“Jones did everything he was supposed to do and more,” Babcock said.

Cynthia was the only witness called on Monday. She was questioned about a 2017 dinner at Al Biernat’s in Dallas, just a month before Alexandra’s 21st birthday, when the payments allegedly stopped. Alexandra, Cynthia and attorney Donald “Don” Jack were at the dinner. Jack was Jones’ attorney who helped draft the settlement in 1998. Alexandra had reportedly prepared a number of talking points that Jack would later pass along to Jones.

The jury saw a copy of a handwritten note from Alexandra, the note seeking her “rightful” share of Jones’s fortune.

“I researched this before I wrote this… I don’t care or want the agreement that was made with my mother. I want a separate agreement,” the letter read. “I know his son also has a child out of wedlock, but he gave that child $20 million. Is there a difference between illegitimate children?”

Alexandra became visibly upset as the jury studied the document in the courtroom.

Although Jones never agreed to the woman’s demands, the jury did learn that payments had been made over years, including trips to Paris, Egypt, Asia and the rent on her Washington, D.C., apartment after she graduated from SMU.

According to Davis’ legal team, Alexandra did not have full knowledge of the agreement.

“The father is suing his daughter, Alexandra Davis, for violating a confidentiality agreement her mother entered into when Alexandra was not even 2 years old,” Hayes said. “It’s a typical Jones thing to do.”

However, Babcock showed the jury text messages between Alexandra and her mother about suing Jones.

In the text thread, Alexandra asked, “Am I making the wrong decision?”

Cynthia replied, “No, you’re not. What have you got to lose?”

However, the 1998 contract states that Cynthia must have restrained Alexandra from taking legal action against Jones.

When Cynthia was asked why she didn’t do more to convince her daughter not to sue Jones, she gave conflicting answers. She told the jury it was likely because her judgment was clouded because she was undergoing chemotherapy for brain cancer, but also said she respected her daughter’s wishes.

Alexandra, however, was not the only one who knew about the agreement. Cynthia later admitted that she had given a copy of the documents to Shy Anderson, Jones’ ex-son-in-law. Anderson was married to Charlotte Jones.

“I have no loyalty to Charlotte,” Cynthia said.

Cynthia suffered from several emotional breakdowns on Monday which delayed the cross-examination.

“I never thought Jerry would ever sue me,” Cynthia said.

When asked why she gave the documents to Anderson, Cynthia said, “Because he asked for them.”

The first day of testimony wrapped up Monday afternoon. The second day will resume Tuesday at 9 a.m. Jones could testify later this week.