A judge ordered former NFL superstar Antonio Brown to repay $1 million in jewelry debt after he failed to respond to a lawsuit regarding the matter.
High-profile jeweler to the stars, Shuki International, sued Brown in April 2023, claiming the former NFL star borrowed a number of expensive jewelry items in 2022 but failed to return them or pay for them, according to TMZ. Shuki, who provides bling to the likes of Floyd Mayweather and other high-profile stars, alleged he gave Brown a pair of diamond fingers that were valued at $500,000 each.
Shuki claimed Brown remains in possession of a rose gold black diamond version of the finger piece as well as a ring and a white gold chain, the outlet reported. He said the items were lent out to the former pro athlete for what was intended to be a short period of time, according to TMZ.
Shuki reportedly said he attempted to obtain payment for the borrowed items and offered Brown the option to simply return the goods if he didn’t wish to purchase them. He claimed he was unable to obtain any sort of response from Brown, which ultimately led him to take the matter to court, TMZ reported.
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The lawsuit against Brown was filed in 2023, but in spite of numerous efforts to obtain a response from Brown, he allegedly refused to acknowledge the situation in any way, the outlet reported. The judge reportedly issued a default judgment in Shuki’s favor and noted the ruling was based on Brown’s refusal to fight the matter.
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Brown was ordered to issue payment in the amount of $1,095,000 to Shuki International, according to TMZ.
Elsa/Getty ImagesShuki claimed he attempted to connect with with Brown before the court order was issued but he wasn’t returning his calls. He noted the two of them used to be close, and this situation was unexpected, according to TMZ. (RELATED: REPORT: Famous Artist Sued Over $26,000 Worth Of Damaged Jewelry)
Brown is not attempting to conceal the items he borrowed from Shuki. He was spotted in Los Angeles showing off one of the diamond fingers to a photographer on Rodeo Drive, according to TMZ.