Woman files paternity lawsuit against Justin Jefferson

Dec 17, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Justin Jefferson is facing a lawsuit from a woman who claims the Minnesota Vikings star is the father of her child.

According to court documents that were obtained by the Daily Mail, Jefferson and his ex-girlfriend Andrea Galea filed counterclaims against one another last month in a New Jersey family court.

Galea, a recent University of Miami Law School graduate who went to LSU at the time Jefferson played there, claims in a paternity lawsuit filed on Jan. 19 that Jefferson is the father of her daughter Stella, who was born in December. Galea says she and Jefferson dated for a while in 2019 and reconnected in April 2023.

Galea is seeking a paternity test, financial support and healthcare coverage from Jefferson. She claims Jefferson pressured her to have an abortion after she informed him she was pregnant with his child.

In a counterclaim filed on Jan. 26, Jefferson pushed for a paternity test as well as an injunction that would prevent Galea from publicly sharing information about the situation. Jefferson’s attorneys accuse Galea of “using the Child’s birth, and her assertions of (Jefferson’s) alleged fathering of the child” to promote herself and grow her social media following.

Galea shared screenshots of text messages in her complaint that she says show Jefferson pressuring her to get an abortion. She says the three-time Pro Bowl receiver “began acting towards her with great insensitivity and extreme cruelty” after it became clear Jefferson could not convince her to have an abortion.

Jefferson was the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2022 after he had 128 catches for 1,809 yards and 8 touchdowns. He was limited to 10 games this past season because of injuries, but he still finished with 1,074 receiving yards and 5 scores.

Jefferson is entering the final season of his rookie contract and is seeking a new deal. There has been talk that he and the Vikings could run into one big issue.