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Leicester Bryce Stovell Sues LeBron James, Claims Paternity

By Jason Beahm on July 09, 2010 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Who is the father of King James?

LeBron James and his mother Gloria James have been sued by Leicester Bryce Stovell who claims that he is LeBron James' father. Stovell, who is an attorney, is proceeding pro se against LeBron and Gloria. Stovell argues that he has tried to prove paternity but that Gloria and LeBron tampered with evidence and covered it up.

In the background section of the complaint obtained by TMZ, Leicester Bryce Stovell sets out his take on the case: "During the past couple of years I have concluded that I have a reasonable basis for believing that I likely am the father of Defendant LeBron James, notwithstanding long-term actions of the Defendants aimed at preventing me and other from becoming aware of it."

Stovell goes on to describe a sexual encounter with Gloria James in 1984. Stovell states that several months after the encounter, James visited him and told him that she was pregnant and was going to name the baby LeBron. Stovell says he told Gloria, "Well, if he's mine, make sure he plays basketball," and that was the last time he saw her for over 20 years.

Stovell claims that in 2007 he finally reconnected with Gloria over the phone, but she denied ever meeting him and threatened him physically. A few days later, Stovell alleges, LeBron agreed to take a DNA paternity test. Stovell received results indicating that he was not LeBron's father, but he suspects that the results were tampered with. Stovell says that he and LeBron look nearly identical, saying that when he saw him at an NBA game he was "struck by our similarity in appearance ... James and I are nearly if not identical height and pigmentation and have very similar athletic body types."

Stovell is seeking $4 million, suing for common law fraud, misrepresentation, breach of oral contract, defamation and establishment of paternity.

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