Former NFL running back Le’Veon Bell was arrested in Canton on a warrant from Michigan due to allegedly unpaid child support. The news broke without initial details, but reports confirmed the arrest connects directly to these ongoing child support obligations. It’s a tough situation for a player many fans still remember for his electric plays on the field.
The “Inaccurate” Income Battle
According to Bell’s lawyer, Thomas Shaffer, the heart of the issue is that his client’s child support payments “inaccurately” reflect his NFL salary. Shaffer told Aaron Hughes of the Canton Repository that Bell even cashed in an NFL pension six months ago, paying $50,000 in child support for the child in question. But here’s the kicker: his child support guidelines are still “inaccurately being deemed based on his NFL salary and his professional boxing career.” Shaffer didn’t pull any punches, stating, “This is a revolving door because he pays a number that doesn’t reflect his true income. The issue will never end. The court needs to reflect his true income.” You gotta wonder, how long does this back and forth go on?
When Your Salary Ends, But the Obligations Don’t
It’s a tricky spot, because Bell’s NFL salary ended five years ago. While his lawyer points to the court needing to recognize Bell’s “true income” now, it’s also true that he’s not the first person to face child support obligations after a big reduction in income. The original report noted that whatever the solution, it should have been sorted out long before Bell was arrested for not paying amounts based on income from half a decade ago. This whole situation is a messy reminder that financial responsibilities don’t just disappear when the big paychecks do.
What happens next? It looks like this legal battle over his true income is far from over. Bell and his legal team clearly need to find a way to get the court to adjust those guidelines, or this “revolving door” could keep spinning.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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