A contentious divorce case involving New Jersey billionaire John Overdeck has taken a new turn with the revelation that his alleged lover, a fencing coach, previously sued his wife for defamation. The lawsuit claims Laura Overdeck insinuated the coach was responsible for their marriage's collapse and made defamatory statements about her.
Lauren Phillips, a former Rutgers University fencer and now a fencing coach, filed a lawsuit in 2024 alleging Laura Overdeck publicly labeled her as her husband’s “paramour” and stated she was “the reason for the breakup.” Phillips' suit also claimed Laura Overdeck sent a text message to her estranged husband accusing Phillips of being a criminal who “threatens people with real knives.”
Phillips, who owns a fencing gym in Millburn, stated in her lawsuit that these accusations were repeated to her clients, friends, and business associates. The suit further alleged that Laura Overdeck’s narrative was intended “to smear Ms. Phillips and avoid potential media embarrassment resulting from Defendant’s high-profile divorce.” Phillips' lawsuit claimed that Laura Overdeck's actions affected and would continue to affect her reputation and her fencing school's standing in the community.
A judge later dismissed Phillips' lawsuit when she failed to pursue the legal proceedings. Representatives for Phillips declined to comment, and neither of the Overdecks responded to requests for comment. Phillips' suit noted that one of John Overdeck's three children had received fencing lessons at her academy for five years, and that her 24-year career had led some students to obtain fencing scholarships and compete in the Olympics.
Some of Phillips' allegations appear to be echoed in body-camera footage from a police visit to the Overdeck family's mansion nearly a year prior to her lawsuit. In the footage, an unidentified woman, identified by Laura Overdeck as Phillips, spoke with police. Laura Overdeck, in the footage, referred to the woman as a “psycho girlfriend” and accused her of holding her own family “at knife point.”
John Overdeck, 56, admitted in the footage to being in a “dating” relationship with the woman but denied that they had ever had sex or taken their clothes off. He told an officer, “We are having a dating relationship, but we’ve never had sex.”
The Overdecks are currently engaged in a high-stakes divorce proceeding in Newark family court. Laura Overdeck is seeking a $6.2 billion share of her estranged husband's stake in his hedge fund, Two Sigma. If successful, this settlement could rank among the largest divorce payouts in U.S. history, potentially placing the Overdecks behind figures like Bill and Melinda Gates and Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Scott.
Laura Overdeck reportedly rejected a settlement offer of $633 million earlier this month. She maintains that the growth of Two Sigma since their 20-year marriage should be considered a marital asset. John Overdeck testified in court that the offer was “fair and equitable” and “ample to support her.”