Matt Barnes is facing a lawsuit following an altercation with his fiancée’s former husband, whom the ex-NBA star was captured spitting on in footage released on social media.
According to documents obtained by The Blast, the 42-year-old is being sued by David Patterson for battery, assault, and intentional infliction of emotional distress suffered by the plaintiff. The alleged victim claims he was “wrongfully, maliciously, and violently assaulted, battered, threatened and injured” by Barnes during a verbal confrontation that turned physical, which occurred at the San Francisco 49ers’ playoff matchup against the Dallas Cowboys on Jan. 22.
Patterson says he “suffered and continues to suffer from injury, emotional distress, pain and suffering, embarrassment, and humiliation” stemming from the incident and is seeking an unspecified amount of damages against Barnes. The former Ohio State defensive end also shared texts between Barnes and Melisa Andino, Patterson’s current fiancée, in which Barnes allegedly sent confrontational messages in an attempt to stir friction. “Melisa are your lips good for anything other than sucking d***?” the NBA champion allegedly wrote in one text. “Control your man he’s losing it.”
Barnes has also filed for a temporary restraining order against Patterson in Los Angeles County, claiming that Patterson incited the crowd around him by repeatedly cursing at him and saying his full-name before pushing him and starting the fight. “[Patterson] shoved me, and I was forced to push him off of me,” Barnes said. “I did not want the altercation to physically escalate further, and out of frustration with him seeking me out and his unrelenting repeated harassment I spit in his direction in disgust.” The Cali native also accused Patterson of being the one that “hunted” him down and that he previously threatened to shoot him with his “glock.”
In October 2022, Barnes, who is currently engaged to Anansa Sims, Patterson’s ex-wife, had a restraining order filed against him by Andino, who accused the former Golden State Warrior of mistreating the three children Sims and Patterson share together.
The All The Smoke podcast cohost was previously embroiled in a domestic dispute involving his ex Gloria Govan and former NBA player and head coach Derek Fisher in 2015.