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Kyrie Sued After Fatal Family Retreat
Irving's celebrity therapist seeking $400k in unpaid expenses đź’°
Sideline Sports Law
December 05, 2024
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Kyrie Irving is back in the headlines. Not for his tweets. Or his flat earth theories.
This time, Irving is being sued for allegedly failing to pay after a family wellness retreat turned fatal.
Let’s dive in:
The Gist
Natasha McCartney, Irving’s therapist, claims the NBA All-Star owes her $400,000 in expenses for hosting an Irving family retreat in North Dakota this summer.
McCartney alleges that the guest list tripled, one attendee unexpectedly died, and Irving has failed to pay the bill.
X’s and O’s: The Lawsuit Allegations
McCartney filed a 14-page complaint in New York State court on Monday, alleging breach of contract, unjust enrichment, and fraud against Irving. McCartney seeks to recover $390,710 plus interest, attorneys’ fees and costs.
On offense (plaintiffs): Elite Mind Solutions LLC, a company that specializes in health and wellness services and provides mental performance coaching for athletes.
On defense (defendants): Kyrie Irving and A11Even Sports, the sports management agency that represents Irving.
McCartney’s promotional materials for her services
The lawsuit alleges that Irving hosted a five-day family retreat between June 28 and July 2 in North Dakota. Originally, Irving requested that McCartney provide health and wellness services for 50 attendees, but that number later tripled to 150 individuals.
The retreat came to an unexpected and tragic end when an attendee passed away. Additional details of the unexpected death — including the cause of death and the decedent’s relationship to Irving — were not included in the complaint.
McCartney attached three invoices to the complaint: two for event services and one for crisis management.
Health and Wellness Services
According to invoices, McCartney’s services included meditation sessions, intuitive life readings, workshops, and foot baths.
McCartney, who has worked with the Irving family since 2020, applied a six-figure “Kyrie Irving Discount” to each of the two service invoices.
The invoice attached to McCartney’s complaint
Crisis Intervention Services
McCartney’s $140,000 invoice after an attendee’s tragic death included “acting as a liaison between the family and North Dakota officers.”
Specifically, McCartney provided critical information “to ensure that guests were not interrogated by NPD,” promptly removed Kyrie from the scene to “avoid media exposure,” and “assisted the coroner with preparations for the family viewing and transportation.”