Zion Williamson has been named as a defendant in a lawsuit filed over the failure to repay the majority of a $2 million loan. Williamson was named in the suit filed by Ankr PBC alongside his mother and stepfather. According to the suit filed in New Orleans this week, Ankr gave a $2 million loan to Williamson's stepfather, Lee Anderson. Anderson had claimed the loan was a necessary part of negotiations to bring Williamson on as a spokesperson.
"Anderson represented that the loan was urgently needed, as the family had taken on expensive investments including the purchase of certain real estate in New Orleans and could not meet their obligations due to the temporary suspension of payments from Williamson's sponsorship deals resulting from an injury," the lawsuit stated. Ankr claimed that the loan was made in addition to a $150,000 payment that Anderson demanded up-front. Ankr had reportedly agreed not to sue if the outstanding $1.8 million was paid by July 6.
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Williamson's Family Sued
The lawsuit filed by Ankr painted a picture of a company taken advantage of by a greedy family member. Ankr authorized the loan after agreeing to a repayment date of August 2022. However, Anderson later negotiated a series of extensions, eventually cutting Ankr a check for $25,000 that bounced. Anderson later paid back $500,000 but failed to meet the July 6 deadline to repay the remaining $1.8 million.
Furthermore, Ankr claims to have helped Williamson with community events and identified a physical trainer and a personal chef for the player. Williamson's mother was also named as a defendant as the loan was transferred into her account. All of this, however, boils down to Anderson. The lawsuit makes it very clear that he was acting as a legitimate representative of Williamson. "Based on Williamson's statements to Ankr, Ankr reasonably believed that Anderson possessed the authority to negotiate business arrangements for Williamson," the lawsuit stated. All this comes as Williamson looks to get back on the court and stay healthy. However, it also emerges just weeks after a flurry of allegations made by Williamson's alleged romantic partner, Moriah Mills. This is a developing story.
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