The ex-wife of Harlem Globetrotters legend Meadowlark Lemon, 83, is suing the basketball star for allegedly skimping on child support payments, and he said he is "stunned and saddened" by the allegations.
The Connecticut Post reports Willie Lemon Campbell and her 48-year-old son, Jonathan, have filed a suit in Bridgeport, Connecticut. They're seeking $250,000 they say Lemon never paid them in child support.
Campbell said Lemon was ordered to give up their family house and pay $2,500 a month in child support in their 1977 divorce settlement. The suit says the house was remortgaged by Lemon and he stopped child support payments after one year.
Lemon said he's confused by the lawsuit and will contest the matter in court. He played forward for the Globetrotters for 23 years.
“I don't know what they are doing,” he told the Connecticut Post. “John is 48 years old now. I don't know if he is running out of money, but if that is so he ought to get out and get a job. My former wife was a good wife.”
Lemon also reached out to NBC Connecticut via email on Friday morning, saying he's kept his relationship with his children private, but felt compelled to respond to the "false public allegations."
“While I am stunned and saddened by these allegations, I am confident the court will find these allegations to be false," Lemon said in a statement. “Taking care of my children has always been important to me. I have 5 children with my ex-wife Willye, and Jon is the youngest. There were 3 children at home, and 2 in college at the time of our divorce. I love my kids. Providing for them is one of the most important things I’ve ever done."
Local
The case has been pushed back to August.
