Gianluca Prestianni denies using racially insulting language towards Vinicius Junior. 

Prestianni and Benfica took on Junior and Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League. Real Madrid won the game 1-0. During the broadcast, it appeared that Prestianni called Junior a “monkey.” 

Junior seemed to think that’s what Prestianni said, too. He posted a caption on Instagram that many thought was a message to Prestianni.

“Racists are, above all, cowards. They need to cover their mouths with their shirts to show how they are weak,” Junior said

Prestianni strongly denies any wrongdoing. He also took to social media to tell his side of the story. 

“I want to clarify that at no point did I direct racist insults at the player Vinicius Júnior, who unfortunately misinterpreted what he thought he heard,” Prestianni said 

His club has also come to his defense. They said that Prestianni is a part of a “defamation campaign” and that there’s no possible way that Junior could have heard what he said. Prestianni’s shirt was covering his mouth during the alleged remark. 

Junior was born in Brazil and is of Cameroonian descent. He was signed to Real Madrid’s Division B team in 2018. However, he was promoted to the La Liga team after just eight games. He has played 23 games this season and has eight goals. 

Real Madrid and Benfica will meet up again on Feb. 25 in the second leg of their playoff matchup. In this game, Real Madrid will have home advantage. They play at Estadio Bernabeu in Madrid, Spain. 

UEFA will investigate the incident. According to their rulebook, UEFA has a “zero-tolerance” policy towards racism and racist remarks on or off the field. Any player or official found guilty of making a racist remark is suspended for a minimum of 10 matches. 

Mikaela Shiffrin of the United States has won the gold medal in the slalom event.

This is Shiffrin’s fourth Olympic medal, and her first since 2018. 

Slalom skiing is a highly technical version of alpine skiing. It features short and quick turns. The flags you usually see in alpine skiing are replaced with small poles that are spaced tightly, generally only six to 13 meters away from each other. 

Shiffrin won the gold medal in this event in the 2014 Winter Olympics. She was just 18 years old at the time, making her the youngest person to win a gold medal in slalom at the Olympics.

She won a gold medal in the 2018 Winter Olympics in the giant slalom. Giant slalom still features the short and quick turns, but with a larger flag replacing the small poles in slalom. Team USA also won the silver medal for combined alpine skiing.  

Shiffrin participated in six events in the 2022 Winter Olympics, but didn’t win a medal in any of them. She entered the 2026 Winter Olympics as a 30-year-old who many thought had already experienced her best days on the slopes.

Despite an eight-year drought for Olympic medals, Shiffrin won 11 world championship medals from 2019 to 2025. This included a gold medal in the giant slalom at the 2023 Meribel event. 

Shiffrin also competed in giant slalom at the 2026 Winter Olympics. She placed sixth in this event. Team USA finished in fourth place in women’s team combined alpine skiing. 

Although Shiffrin showed some impressive longevity with her gold medal, she’s not the only one who defeated Father Time. Federica Brignone of Italy won gold medals in giant slalom and Super-G. She is 35 years old, making her the oldest woman to win a gold medal in alpine skiing. 

Team USA hockey star Brad Tkachuk spoke about hearing support from President Donald Trump before the Olympics. “I mean, it was pretty cool that you have the president who cares about our team, and he wishes us all the luck to get the job done,” Tkachuk said in November at the Team US Media Summit. “I think it really signified how big of a moment that was. And I wouldn’t say it created pressure by any means, but you just realize you’re not just playing for the group in that locker room, but you’re playing for the people that got you there. You’re playing for the people that protect us every single day. It’s bigger than the game. It’s for the whole country, and you’re trying to leave your best effort and get the job done for everybody in this country.”

The Kansas City Chiefs have restructured Patrick Mahomes’ contract. 

Part of Mahomes’s contract has been converted into a signing bonus. His 2026 salary cap hit will be $34 million. His cap hit for the next four seasons has increased by an average of $11 million. 

Mahomes is currently recovering from two torn ligaments in his left knee. Mahomes told ESPN he hopes to be ready for Week 1 of the 2026 season. However, most league sources expect Mahomes to miss at least part of the 2026 season.

In 2025, the Chiefs finished with a 6-11 record. This caused them to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2014. Even with Mahomes at quarterback, the team went just 6-8. Despite this, Mahomes still looked strong individually with 22 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

The Chiefs’ offense was surprisingly bad. They had the No. 21-ranked offense in the league. Offensive coordinator Matt Nagy left this offseason to join the New York Giants. The Chiefs brought back Eric Bieniemy as their new offensive coordinator. Bieniemy was the offensive coordinator from 2018 to 2022. He won two Super Bowls during this time. Beyond just the Super Bowls, Mahomes had his four best individual seasons with Bieniemy at OC. 

Despite the restructuring of Mahomes’ contract, the Chiefs still don’t have a lot of cap space to work with. Over the cap estimates that the Chiefs have a negative $11 million in cap space. The Chiefs could also look to restructure the contracts of other veteran players. Franchise legend Travis Kelce is currently not under contract for 2026.

NFL free agency will begin on March 11. The Chiefs will look to navigate their tough cap situation and improve their offense. March 9 is the start of the legal tampering period. This is when teams can negotiate with players, but can’t sign them until free agency begins.

The Dallas Mavericks have announced that Kyrie Irving will miss the rest of the season recovering from his torn ACL.

Irving suffered this injury last season. The Mavericks were hesitant to keep an Irving return off the table before this announcement. Despite this, an Irving return this season was unlikely given his injury history and age.

The Mavericks are the No. 12 seed in the Western Conference with a 19-35 record. The Mavericks already committed to playing younger players by trading Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards. Irving’s extended recovery is just another sign of this trend.

The Mavericks signed D’Angelo Russell this offseason to play point guard while Irving was out. Russell averaged a career-low 10 points per game before being traded to the Wizards. The Wizards are currently working on a buyout for Russell.

Brandon Williams has stepped up as the starting PG. He is currently averaging 12.7 points per game. Williams went undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft and was signed by the Portland Trail Blazers. The Mavericks signed him in 2023. 

The Mavericks also traded for Tyus Jones to give themselves a veteran presence at PG. Jones averaged 12 points per game with the Wizards in 2023-24. This season, he averaged three points per game with the Orlando Magic before being traded to the Mavericks. Jones has played three games with the Mavericks so far and also averages three points per game.

The Mavericks play their first game of the second half on Feb. 20, taking on the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Mavericks’ primary goal for the second half of the season is to develop Cooper Flagg. Flagg is currently averaging 20.4 points per game. Flagg is currently dealing with a foot strain that left him out of the Rising Stars Game.  

The former UFC bantamweight champion, Ronda Rousey, is returning to mixed martial arts after a near decade long hiatus from the sport. Rousey is set to face Gina Carano, who is a trailblazer for women’s MMA. The fight was confirmed by Most Valuable Promotions on Tuesday.

The bout is scheduled for May 16 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. This will be the first professional MMA contest promoted by Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions and will air on Netflix.

Rousey and Cerano will fight at 145 pounds, and it will be professionally sanctioned, with five five-minute rounds and four-ounce gloves in a hexagon cage.

Rousey released a statement to ESPN, saying she has, “been waiting so long to announce this: Gina Carano and I are gonna throw down in the biggest super fight in women’s combat sport history!”

The former UFC champion was the first American to win an Olympic medal in judo back in 2008. She was also the first woman to sign with the UFC.

Rousey, 39, took the world by storm when she arrived on the scene in 2013, dominating her opponents in the octagon on her way to a bantamweight title. Rousey holds the UFC record for successfully defending her title six straight times.

Rousey was most known for her vaunted armbar finish, forcing her opponents to tap out. 11 out of her first 12 fights ended in the first round, and beating three consecutive opponents in under one minute. She holds a record of 12-2, with her losses coming against Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes.

Carano is widely known for trailblazing the way for women in mixed martial arts, competing from 2006 to 2009. The last time Carano fought, she lost to Cris Cyborg for the inaugural Strikeforce women’s 145-pound title, via TKO.

Both Carano and Rousey spent some time in Hollywood, as both appeared in the “Fast & Furious” franchise.

Rousey vs. Carano will have a kickoff news conference on March 5 at the Intuit Dome. More fights will be added to the card and announced at a later date.

Casey Wasserman is in the news for the wrong reasons. The chairperson of the 2028 Olympics & Paralympics has prior relationships with Jeffrey Epstein‘s girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass told CNN on Monday that Wasserman should step down as head of the 2028 Olympics despite support from the LA28 board.

Wasserman had emails released with Maxwell back in 2003 that were very flirtatious, which has become a distraction for the International Olympic Committee. These emails were revealed just days before the Milan Cortina Winter Games.

The IOC dodged questions about Wasserman, referring them to the LA28 board despite the huge controversy.

“I understand there are many conversations happening at this moment, but I will not make any further comment,” Mark Adams, the IOC spokesman, said Tuesday in Milan. “This is obviously a matter for the board of LA28 still at this stage.”

Mayor Bass is unable to fire Wasserman, but she is actively advocating for him to step down.

Wasserman, an entertainment executive and sports agent, has lost clients ever since these emails were released, including pop megastar Chappell Roan and soccer star Abby Wambach. Wasserman is currently selling his company.

Wasserman has yet to be accused of any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein and Maxwell and released a statement regarding his relationship with them, saying, “I deeply regret my correspondence with Ghislaine Maxwell,” adding that it was “long before her horrific crimes came to light.”

Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for five counts of sex trafficking and abuse of minors.

Elana Meyers Taylor made history at the Milan Cortina Winter Games on Monday, becoming the oldest woman to win an individual gold medal in Winter Olympics history at age 41.

The American bobsledder faced an uphill battle to reach the mountain top, giving birth to two children and dealing with concussions that set her back. This was her sixth career medal and first Olympic title.

Meyers Taylor achieved this accomplishment with both of her kids in the audience, watching her as she completed her lifelong dream and mission. “I thought it was impossible,” Meyers Taylor said.

Meyers Taylor rallied in the fourth and final heat, winning with a four-run, two-day time of three minutes and 57.93 seconds.

She was already the most decorated black athlete in Winter Olympics history before winning the gold, only solidifying her place in history. This win put her in a tie with Bonnie Blair for the most by a U.S. woman in the Winter Olympics. Meyers Taylor spoke on being in the same company as Blair, saying, “To have my name up there with Bonnie Blair, it doesn’t even make sense to me.”

The U.S. also took home the bronze medal in this event with Kaillie Humphries Armbruster finishing in third. Germany’s Laura Nolte, who was in the lead for the majority of the contest, finished in second place.

The reigning Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks, will most likely not be placing the franchise tag on running back and Super Bowl 60 MVP Kenneth Walker ahead of free agency.

Walker, 25, will be a free agent this offseason after finishing his rookie contract with the Seahawks. Walker is a big winner from this, as it allows him to sign a long-term deal with a franchise after an incredible postseason run.

Whether he signs back with Seattle or goes elsewhere, Walker is expected to receive a nice payday compared to the $14.1 million franchise tag. Walker was only making $2.7 million during the 2025 NFL season.

According to ESPN, the Seahawks will work to sign Walker to a long-term deal as they hope to retain their franchise running back.

Walker shared the backfield with his co-star Zach Charbonnet and only handled 43.6% of the team’s carries during the regular season. Charbonnet saw the majority of the goal line work, scoring a team-high 12 touchdowns. Walker saw an increased workload in the playoffs after Charbonnet suffered a season-ending torn ACL in the NFC divisional round against the San Francisco 49ers. Walker took advantage of the increased workload, and it paid massive dividends for him and the Seahawks.

Walker averaged 139 yards from scrimmage in the postseason, adding four touchdowns in their run to a Lombardi Trophy. Walker nearly matched his regular-season touchdown total of five in just three games. Walker became the first running back to win Super Bowl MVP since 1997, when Terrell Davis won it for the Denver Broncos.

Walker spoke to the media earlier this month about his impending free agency, saying, “I’ve been here four years, so I’ve gotten to know a lot of stuff about Seattle, and a lot of the city, and I feel like they feel good about me as well, if it was my choice, though, I’d definitely stay.”

If a reunion with the Seahawks is not in the cards for Walker, expect many teams to be interested in the Super Bowl MVP, including teams like the Kansas City Chiefs, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets and Carolina Panthers, who all have a running back hitting free agency.

Jutta Leerdam, the fiancée of social media personality and boxer Jake Paul, could earn up to $1 million from Nike.

On Feb. 9, Leerdam won a gold medal in the 1,000-meter speed skating event. She also set the Olympic record, finishing in 1:12.31. After winning, she unzipped her racing coat and showcased her Nike undergarments. Leerdam signed with Nike in Dec. 2025. 

>SLIDESHOW: 50 MOST-INFAMOUS ATHLETE MUGSHOTS & THE STORIES BEHIND THEM!

Quod magazine estimated that she could earn up to 62,000 euros per post featuring Nike. Nike contracts generally include incentives to showcase brand wear both on and off the field. 

Leerdam is estimated to be making around $1 million from the Nike endorsement.

Leerdam has won two medals for the Netherlands. She also got a silver medal in the 500-meter women’s speed skating event. 

Paul posted a video of himself and his fiancée celebrating her medals. 

“Just the amount of hard work that goes into it,” Paul said, “Like 99.9 percent of people will never understand. And she pulled it off, under the most amount of pressure ever.”

Officials from the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) found violations in the suits of Olympic skiers Marcus Lindvik and Johann Andre Forfang in 2025.

Their suits were found to have an extra centimeter of fabric in the crotch area. The FIS regulates that ski jumpers must wear tight-fitting suits that are no larger than four centimeters larger than their body measurements. Research has shown that adding just a centimeter of fabric to the crotch area can increase flight distance by nine feet. 

Lindvik and Forfang both represent Norway in the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. Several Norwegian coaches have received 18-month suspensions from international skiing and snowboarding competitions, including the Olympics.

Lindvik and Forfang have been cleared for competition for Milan.  

There’s been a history of cheating in skiing since at least the 1970s. Austrian suit designers made suits that allowed less air to pass through. The FIS quickly passed regulations on this practice, but Austria and several other countries still tried to make these suit modifications. 

Suit measurement regulations were previously handled manually. American skier Ben Berend said this process was extremely awkward, saying a metal rod moved up throughout the athlete’s body, including the athlete’s crotch area.

In 2023, the FIS began allowing 3D scanners to perform measurements. However, to prevent cheating, they also started doing “visual crotch area inspections.” These inspections are done by neutral doctors or nurses. 

Jens Weissflog, a former German Olympic champion, called suit manipulation “doping, but with a different needle.” 

The FIS hired new equipment control coordinators and implemented other reforms in response to this scandal.

Lindvik competed in three events in the 2026 Winter Olympics. He helped Norway finish with a silver medal in the ski jumping mixed team event. Forfang has competed in two events so far, men’s normal hill individual ski jumping and men’s large hill individual ski jumping.

Team USA Stars have won the NBA All-Star Game after defeating Team World and Team USA Stripes.

The NBA debuted a new format for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game. There were three All-Star teams – two USA teams and a World team.

The first game was between Team World and Team USA Stars. Anthony Edwards had 13 points and two rebounds for the USA Stars. Meanwhile, for Team World, Victor Wembanyama had 14 points and six rebounds. The game went to overtime with Team USA Stars winning 37-35.

Team USA Stars took on Team USA Stripes in the second game. Cade Cunningham had 11 points and four assists for the Stars. Meanwhile, Jaylen Brown scored 11 points and had three rebounds for the Stripes. The Stripes won this matchup 42-40.

Team Stripes won the third game against Team World, setting up a final between Team Stars and Team Stripes. Tyrese Maxey had nine points and two rebounds for the Stars. Donovan Mitchell had six points and one rebound for the Stripes. Although the previous three games were close, the final game ended in a blowout, 47-21. 

Edwards won the MVP for the All-Star Game. He scored 32 points in the three games he played. 

Kawhi Leonard got serious consideration for All-Star MVP despite playing for the losing Stripes. In Game 3, he scored 31 points in 12 minutes against Team World. He shot 11 of 13 from the field and six of seven from three-point range.  

The 2027 NBA All-Star Game will be on Feb. 21, 2027, at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix. It’s unclear at this time if the NBA will keep this format for the 2027 NBA All-Star Game. The format received positive reviews for getting players to play harder than they usually do in the All-Star game. 

The Miami Dolphins made a shocking decision to release former Pro Bowl wide receiver Tyreek Hill.

The Dolphins announced the release of four veteran players on Feb. 16. This included Hill, Bradley Chubb, James Daniels and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. The Dolphins have looked to shake things up since firing their head coach, Mike McDaniel. 

The Dolphins traded for Hill during the 2022 offseason. Hill was traded for five picks, including the New England Patriots’ 2022 first-round pick. The Kansas City Chiefs drafted Trent McDuffie in 2022, who helped improve their defense. 

Hill helped get the Dolphins back to the playoffs in 2022. This was their first playoff appearance since 2016. In 2023, he led the league in receiving yards with 1,799. 

Hill declined in the 2024 season, only having 959 yards in 17 games. In the 2025 season, Hill played only four games due to a knee injury sustained in a game against the New York Jets.

The Dolphins struggled in the first half of the season with a 2-7 record. The Dolphins went 0-3 in the three games Hill played in without injury. The offense wasn’t bad in those games, though, scoring 27 against the Patriots and 21 against the Buffalo Bills. 

The Dolphins won five of their last eight games of the season. They were on a four-game win streak before quarterback Tua Tagovailoa got hurt.

Despite Hill having talent, his decline over the past couple of seasons has been hard to ignore. McDaniel was hired by the Los Angeles Chargers as the new offensive coordinator. Hill could choose to rejoin his old head coach, but it’s unclear if head coach Jim Harbaugh is interested in Hill. Hill’s original team, the Kansas City Chiefs, could also consider bringing him back. Patrick Mahomes is currently recovering from torn ligaments in his left knee. 

U.S. Olympic hockey star Kendall Coyne revealed her winning habits exclusively to uSports ahead of competing at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. “My everyday habits, it’s recognizing the habits that have made me successful, whether it’s eating, sleeping, training, just emptying the tank every single day to be the best that I can be and being willing to do that every single day,” she said. “As we know, the Olympics are not every four years; they’re every day, and the grind is every day, and just being willing to embrace that grind.”

Kansas State has fired its head coach, Jerome Tang.

This decision comes less than a week after Kansas State’s blowout loss to Cincinnati. After this loss, Tang told reporters that his players “do not deserve to wear their uniforms.”

Kansas State has referenced Tang’s comments as a reason for the firing. 

“This was a decision that was made in the best interest of our university and men’s basketball program,” Kansas State athletic director Gene Taylor said. “Recent public comments and conduct, in addition to the program’s overall direction, have not aligned with K-State’s standards for supporting student-athletes and representing the university. We wish Coach Tang and his family all the best moving forward.”

Since this is a for-cause firing, Tang is allowed to dispute it. 

“I am deeply disappointed with the university’s decision and strongly disagree with the characterization of my termination,” Tang said. “I have always acted with integrity and faithfully fulfilled my responsibilities as head coach.”

Disputes over for-cause firings usually trigger legal challenges. Tang could sue Kansas State for wrongful termination. In this case, Kansas State must prove that Tang violated his contract or specific team or league policy. These disputes usually end in private settlements. Both sides usually look to avoid lengthy legal disputes. 

Despite this, Tang is thankful for his time at Kansas State. 

“I am grateful to the players, staff, and fans who make this program so special,” Tang said. “I remain proud of what we built together and confident that I have always acted in the best interests of the university and our student-athletes.”

Matthew Driscoll has been named the interim head coach for Kansas State. For Tang, he will likely get some interest during the offseason. His former school, Baylor, currently has a record of 13-12, which is currently No. 14 in the Big 12. 

U.S. Olympic hockey star Hillary Knight revealed the life lessons she learned on her way to the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. “A life lesson from my Olympic journey is just being able to work with people from different backgrounds and problem-solving on the fly and getting through different adversities,” she told uSports exclusively in November. “How to effectively communicate with one another. So, yeah, think anyone who’s been in our program is set up for success with those life skills, for sure.”

It was a Super Bowl to forget for New England Patriots left tackle Will Campbell, allowing 14 pressures last week against the Seattle Seahawks.

Those 14 pressures mark a season-worst in any game this year from an offensive lineman. Campbell revealed to the media that he had been playing with a torn ligament and was not 100%.

Campbell got injured in Week 12 against the Cincinnati Bengals, forcing him to be carted off the field and missing four games. The injury was an MCL sprain that never fully healed when he returned to action.

Patriots quarterback Drake Maye was sacked 21 times during the NFL playoffs, setting a new record and surpassing Joe Burrow, who was sacked 19 times in 2021. Both QBs went on to lose the Super Bowl.

After declining to speak to the media after the Super Bowl, Campbell spoke on Tuesday about the criticism he has received, saying, “When you don’t perform, obviously, I was [drafted] high, paid a lot. So people expect a certain thing, and I expect more of myself. So whenever I don’t perform, I don’t expect everyone to be like, ‘It’s OK, buddy.’ I mean, obviously, it sucks. But it doesn’t suck for anyone more than it sucks for me.”

The Patriots drafted Campbell with the fourth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, hoping for him to be the franchise left tackle and protect Maye. “I’m gonna fight and die to protect him with everything I got,” Campbell said after he was drafted.

The Patriots still have high hopes for Campbell to be their franchise left tackle, despite allowing 29 pressures in the postseason.

Pro Bowl tight end David Njoku will not be returning to the Cleveland Browns as the tight end enters free agency.

Njoku spent nine years with the Browns organization and was one of the longest-tenured players on the team. Njoku took to Instagram to say goodbye to Cleveland and the fanbase, writing, “The time for me to find a new home has come, and all I can think of is just the gratefulness in my heart. The City of Cleveland will forever be home.”

Njoku, 29, was the 29th pick in the 2017 NFL Draft out of the University of Miami. Njoku was drafted alongside superstar Myles Garrett, who was the first overall pick in 2017.

The tight end was rumored to be traded during this year’s trade deadline, but ended up staying put and finishing out the season with the Browns.

Njoku struggled to stay healthy this season, only playing in 12 games. In those games, Njoku totaled 293 receiving yards and four touchdowns while tallying 33 receptions. In his Browns career, Njoku tallied 4,062 receiving yards and 34 touchdowns, having a career year in 2023 with 882 yards and six touchdowns.

Njoku electing not to return to the Browns doesn’t come as a shock, as Browns rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. emerged as the team’s top target. Fannin had a team-high 72 catches for 731 receiving yards and six touchdowns.

Njoku will have interest from many teams to be a red-zone threat for a team that is in need of a tight end.

The NBA has announced suspensions for the players involved in the Feb. 9 fight in the game between the Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets.

Isaiah Stewart was suspended for seven games, Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabate were suspended for four games and Jalen Duran was suspended for two games. 

The fight happened in the third quarter of the game. Duran drove to the basket and received a hard hit from Diabate. Duran expressed his anger to Diabate, who punched Duran. This sparked a fight that took a minute to fully stop.

Bridges attempted to defend his teammate and attempted to hit Duran. Stewart saw this and started to punch Bridges. 

Stewart received the longest suspension for several reasons. First, he wasn’t in the game at the time the fight broke out. NBA rules strictly prohibit players from stepping onto the court during a fight. The press release for the suspension said that Stewart’s history of violent behavior on the court also contributed to his lengthy suspension. This is Stewart’s fifth time being suspended. 

Lamelo Ball and Tre Mann were seen stepping on the court during the fight. Generally, this is supposed to lead to a one-game suspension. However, they left the playing area immediately upon request, so the league decided to be lenient with them. 

The players will serve the first game of their suspensions on Feb. 11. Since this suspension falls during the All-Star break, Stewart will be suspended until March 3. 

Although Duran will also be suspended through All-Star weekend, this suspension does not affect his eligibility for the All-Star game. Duran was named an All-Star for the first time in his career and will represent Team USA-A with his teammate Cade Cunningham. He will be eligible to return to regular-season play on Feb. 21.

WNBA star Rickea Jackson’s attorneys have filed a court notice informing Miami-Dade County that she is willing to testify in the case of alleged domestic violence by her ex-boyfriend, James Pearce Jr. 

Jackson and Pearce Jr. dated for three years until about April 2025. On Feb. 7, police reports say that Pearce Jr. followed Jackson with his car. He allegedly tried to open her car door at a red light and rammed his car into hers when she tried to enter the Doral Police Department. 

Officers attempted to arrest Pearce Jr. on-site, but he got into his vehicle and escaped. Pearce Jr.’s SUV ran into the knee of a police officer. Pearce Jr. was involved in an accident at an intersection, which allowed police to reach him. Pearce Jr. attempted to resist arrest further, but police were able to arrest him anyway. 

Along with the domestic violence charge, he’s also charged with stalking Jackson. He also received charges of felony aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer, felony fleeing, and resisting an officer without violence to his person for his alleged attempts to evade arrest. The last charge is a misdemeanor. 

Jackson had transferred to Tennessee for the 2022-23 college basketball season. Pearce Jr. played football at Tennessee for three seasons before being drafted in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons.

Pearce Jr. maintains his innocence. His legal team said that the allegations do not tell the complete story. The Falcons issued a statement saying they were gathering more information before making any further comments. 

Pearce Jr. was released on $20,500 bond on Feb. 8. Pearce Jr. received a pretrial order to stay away from Jackson. At this point, no trial date has been set for Pearce Jr.