Big Unit, Small Heart? Randy Johnson Sues Mother of Secret Love Child

Michael Wheatley and Dave Goldiner of the New York Daily News report on a lawsuit filed by New York Yankees pitcher Randy Johnson against his ex-girlfriend Laurel Roszell, who gave birth to Johnson's first child, Heather, back in 1989 (Wheatley & Goldiner, "Randy Beams Ma of Love Child," New York Daily News, 3/28/2006; see also Smoking Gun). Johnson and Roszell broke up while she was pregnant, and Johnson has only seen Heather once and that was right after she was born (Dan Mangan of the New York Post reports that Heather has repeatedly written to Johnson to meet with him, but he has refused). In 1997--when Heather was 8--Johnson agreed to pay $5,000 a month in child support, plus another $750 in monthly day care expenses. Johnson now demands that Roszell return $71,000 in pre-paid day care payments, plus $26,000 in interest because Heather has not been in day care for at least five years. Johnson contends that Roszell is receiving a windfall for expenses that she did not incur.

Family law is outside my area of legal expertise, so I'll refrain from opining on the merits of Johnson's claim, but as a practical matter, does it really make sense to sue the mother of your daughter who, despite her efforts, you have refused to include in your life, for $97,000 when you make $16 million a year and when you have earned over $100 million in your career? This seems to be an instance of where one should turn to common sense before the law.

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