A federal judge last month dismissed a lawsuit brought by the parents and sister of late Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins Jr. against Haskins' widow over their concerns she'll undermine their upcoming documentary, according to Michael McCann of Sportico .
According to the complaint, the family has a documentary project that will tell their story about Dwayne Haskins Jr. The project is said to be "very near completion" and includes at least 15 years of videotape footage of family members. The family worries that Kalabrya Haskins will try to interfere with the project's release.
U.S. District Judge William S. Stickman IV deemed that although Dwayne Haskins Sr., Tamara Haskins (mother), Tamia Haskins (sister) and the Haskins Family Foundation insist Kalabrya Haskins has engaged in "constant harassment" over the family's use of her husband's NIL and other identity properties on social media, their lawsuit doesn't meet the legal requirement of ripeness.
Stickman stated that Article III, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution limits federal courts' jurisdiction to actual cases and controversies. This means a court won't intervene if a case presents a mere hypothetical question. There must be, the judge stressed, a "substantial threat of real harm."
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins (3) participates in the Organized Team Activities (OTAs), Tuesday May 25, 2021 at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. (Caitlyn Epes / Pittsburgh Steelers)
The parents and sister of Haskins filed a lawsuit against his widow, Kalabrya Haskins, in July of 2024, according to sports law reporter Jason Morrin of Conduct Detrimental. Plaintiffs allege that Kalabrya, whom they had never met prior to her marriage to Dwayne, has been harassing them over their attempts to use his name, image, and likeness rights on social media.
Per Morrin, the plaintiffs claim that Kalabrya challenged the establishment of the Haskins Family Foundation Inc. and successfully requested disablement of the Instagram social media accounts of Dwayne Haskins, Sr., Tamia Haskins, and the Haskins Family Foundation Inc.
The Haskins' are suing Kalabrya of misusing Dwayne Jr.'s name and image on social media and refusing to share her husband's ashes. In addition, per the lawsuit, Kalabrya is administrating Dwayne's estate against the wishes of his parents.
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The wrongful death lawsuit involving Haskins was settled and dismissed in December of 2024. The terms of the settlements were not disclosed .
"All of the settlements that were obtained have now been paid and so the wrongful death case has now been closed," attorney Rick Ellsley said.
Haskins was fatally struck by a dump truck in Florida in April of 2022.
Haskins was in Florida training with Steelers teammates, including fellow quarterback Mitch Trubisky and wide receiver Chase Claypool, who said he was close to being able to help Haskins before his death.
Haskins was attempting to cross the interstate to return to his vehicle, which had run out of gas, when he was hit by the dump truck in the center lane. He was also struck by a second vehicle. The drivers of both vehicles cooperated with the police investigation. Haskins had ketamine in his system and a blood alcohol content of at least .20%.
The lawsuit, filed by Haskins' widow Kalabrya Haskins, alleged negligence by the driver of the dump truck that struck Haskins, the state government entity tasked with maintaining the roadway, the company that provided his rental car, and the nightclub he attended hours before the crash, according to Tom Schad of USA Today .
In August of 2023, Kalabrya Haskins, reached a settlement with three of the initial 14 defendants , including the owners and driver of the dump truck. USA Today reports that a series of settlements with other individual defendants followed, according to court records, leaving only three active defendants at the time of Wednesday's filing, which served as a final resolution to the lawsuit.
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