NASCAR Driver Jennifer Jo Cobb Fined $850,000 in North Carolina 'Homewrecker' Lawsuit
A private investigator's testimony about a salacious hotel encounter led to the hefty judgment against the Truck Series driver.
NASCAR Truck Series driver Jennifer Jo Cobb has been ordered to pay $850,000 to the ex-wife of a man with whom she allegedly had an affair in 2021. The judgment stems from North Carolina's 'Homewrecker Law,' which allows individuals to sue third parties for alienation of affection and criminal conversation.
The lawsuit was filed by Stacey Hughes, the former wife of Clayton Hughes, a longtime NASCAR spotter. Hughes accused Cobb of "willfully, intentionally, and deliberately seduc[ing], entic[ing] and alienat[ing] the affections" of her husband. The case gained traction due to testimony from private investigator Jim Rorie, who was hired by Hughes to follow her husband.
Rorie testified that he tracked Clayton Hughes to a Comfort Inn in October 2020 and, using a tracking device on the car, listened from outside the hotel room. He described hearing what he believed to be "rambunctious" sexual activity, including the sounds of a "squeaking bed," "female tones moaning," and a male voice uttering expletives. According to Rorie's testimony, he also heard the female participant yell, "Don't stop."
A Davidson County judge recently ordered Cobb to pay $50,000 for alienation of affection and $800,000 for criminal conversation. Criminal conversation is a civil tort that permits a spouse to sue a third party for engaging in sexual relations with their spouse while the marriage is still intact.
Cobb, 53, has had a notable career in NASCAR, with 31 starts in the O'Reilly Series and 234 starts in the Truck Series over 15 years. Her best finish was sixth at Daytona in 2011.