Devon Still denied child support accusations that he hasn’t paid the mother of his daughter in months. On Wednesday he said he will let the court system handle the matter.
Still and his daughter Leah have been in the media spotlight as the 4-year-old battles stage 4 neuroblastoma.
The Bengals defensive tackle said in a statement:
“My daughter’s battle with cancer has been inspirational to many all over the world. When she gets older, I want her to be able to look back and read about her positive impact on the world, not about the private issues her parents were going through. I am not going to retaliate against the mother of my daughter, and the untruthful reports in the New York Daily News article, by criticizing her character. I am going to continue to allow the court system to handle this matter, as it has been doing these past couple of months.”
He also sent out this tweet yesterday as response:
"Truth allows you to live with integrity. Everything you do and say shows the world who you really are." Need I say more?
— Devon Still (@Dev_Still71) November 26, 2014
The Daily News reported that Channing Smythe, the ex-girlfriend and mother of Still’s daughter, hired civil rights attorney Gloria Allred to represent her. She claims Devon Still hasn’t paid child support for fourth months and it’s driving her to the brink of homelessness.
Smythe also told the Daily News that she’s unable to work because caring for Leah requires her full-time attention. She said she used food stamps to feed herself and her daughter from July to October.
Allred sent a letter to the NFL asking officials to investigate if Still violated the personal conduct policy for alleged failure of payment.
Even with the request, Bengals coach Marvin Lewis has faith in the defensive tackle. At his weekly news conference he said, “We’re not privy to all the facts of it, but Devon is very confident that he’s taking care of business the right way and eventually, at some point, if there’s things that need to be done through the legality through the courts, that all would come out that way.”
Still regularly speaks to the media about his daughter’s struggles and posts photos on Instragram when he visits her. With his openness about his grief and his joy, Lewis described Still as “a beacon for a lot of people. He will be for a lot of young guys as they face different trials and tribulations as an NFL player.”
Devon Still, in the face of child support allegations, is expected to make $570,000 this season.