Former NFL running back Le'Veon Bell was arrested on Sunday in Jackson Township, Ohio, on a warrant related to child support payments. Bell, 34, was taken into custody by local police at Belden Village Mall and is being held on a courtesy hold for another agency.
According to reports, Bell allegedly owes more than $50,000 in child support. His attorney, Thomas Shaffer, stated that Bell had to withdraw his NFL pension to make payments and that his client is being inaccurately charged based on his past NFL salary and professional boxing income.
"Six months ago he cashed in an NFL pension to pay $50,000 in child support for that child," Shaffer told The Canton Repository. "His guidelines are still inaccurately being deemed based on his NFL salary and his professional boxing career. This is a revolving door because he pays a number that doesn't reflect his true income. The issue will never end. The court needs to reflect his true income."
The child in question resides in Michigan, which has involved the Michigan Attorney General's office.
Bell, a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time First Team All-Pro, last played in the NFL in 2021. He retired from professional football in 2022 and pursued a professional boxing career from 2022 to 2024, holding a 2-1 record. He was a second-round draft pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2013 and played five seasons with the team before a contract dispute led him to sit out the 2018 season. His NFL career included stints with the New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He amassed 9,843 scrimmage yards and 51 touchdowns in 96 career games.
In addition to his legal issues concerning child support, Bell has been a figure of public contention since leaving the NFL. He previously drew criticism for sharing a social media post supporting Donald Trump that included a derogatory term for Kamala Harris. More recently, in March 2025, a jury ordered that a woman receive $25 million in damages from Bell and an additional $11.05 million from his brother, La'Vonte, in a civil suit alleging decade-long rape starting in childhood. Bell has denied these allegations, calling them "bullshit" in a public livestream.
