A jury on Tuesday found Tyreek Hill liable for two counts of battery and awarded Lakeeta Vaccaro $500,000 in compensatory damages, handing down a mixed verdict that left most of her claims rejected but confirmed the panel believed part of her account. The six-person jury and two alternates reached the decision after nearly four hours of deliberation.
The verdict came in a weeklong civil trial that centered on allegations of physical and verbal abuse, with Vaccaro testifying that the abuse began on Jan. 11, 2024, during an argument over a postnuptial agreement. She told jurors Hill grabbed a necklace off her neck, put his hands around her neck and grabbed and twisted her breasts, then took a photo of markings on her chest and later texted her mother about the fight.
That is what makes the split decision matter. The jury found Hill liable on two battery counts and not liable on the other eight claims, while also denying punitive damages. In other words, the panel did not accept the full sweep of Vaccaro’s case, but it did conclude that the evidence supported liability on part of it and that money compensation was warranted. Paul Schwiep told jurors her account was consistent and corroborated by contemporaneous evidence, and he asked them to restore her dignity by awarding $8 million. Michael Gottlieb countered that the case was all about money and divorce, saying the abuse allegations surfaced only after Vaccaro lost a claim for additional spousal support.
The trial record included more than testimony. Lawyers for Vaccaro played nanny camera video from an April 2025 event in which Tyreek Hill and Lakeeta Vaccaro were heard yelling and cursing at each other, and she was heard pleading with him to stop. That footage, along with the earlier text message and the photo she said she took after the Jan. 11, 2024 incident, gave the jury a timeline to weigh against Hill’s denial of liability on most of the claims.
What happens next is more uncertain than the verdict itself. Drew Rosenhaus said he remains in discussion with multiple teams and that nothing is imminent, while also saying Hill is continuing his rehab from last season’s major knee injury with the goal of being on a team in the immediate future. An NFL spokesperson said Vaccaro’s allegations remain under review of the personal conduct policy, so the civil case is not the last word on the consequences Hill could face.
