Karl Malone was one of the most dominant figures in the NBA during the 80s and 90s. Aside from being a strong body, Malone often used his strength to hustle through the paint and score. His abilities were unmatched at times and caused a lot of problems on the court. The former Utah Jazz player concluded his journey in the league second on the all-time scorers list. He also solidified himself in the history books of the NBA.
However, his reputation as a person wasn’t all that perfect. Malone wasn’t liked by many of his peers as they claimed that he was a dirty player. But he was mostly ridiculed for his antics away from the court. Karl wasn’t a person people never felt comfortable being around due to his crooked mindset. Several stories portray the legend as a perverse character, but only one stands out as extremely disturbing. This is the infamous case of Karl Malone and Gloria Bell.
Karl Malone and Gloria Bell’s relationship
Before joining the NBA, Karl Malone was an exceptionally well-known college prospect. He played for Louisiana Tech between 1982 and 1985. It was during his college days when he met young Gloria Bell. However, their relationship ended up taking a dark twist for a reason nobody would’ve seen coming at the time. An incident occurred when Malone was a 20-year-old pursuing his final year in college, and Bell was just 13 years old.
Malone allegedly had s*x with her when he was 13, ultimately impregnating her. This issue sent shockwaves throughout the basketball community and it would have potentially tarnished his reputation forever. Bell eventually gave birth to a healthy baby boy, who they named Demetress. However, Gloria had no other choice but to tell her parents, who eventually sued Malone for statutory r*pe.
In college, 20 year old Karl Malone met 13-year-old Gloria Bell.He impregnated her and had a child. He denied the relationship and the child. The child's name was Demetress Bell, who grew up to play in the NFL. Malone did not meet his son Demetress until he was 18. pic.twitter.com/qJXGxbQGZo
— 🌈 Blue Rhonda Latrec🏳️⚧️ (@DiamondStylz) February 24, 2023
The NBA legend was taken to court but profusely denied having anything to do with the child. Malone was made to take paternity tests on two different occasions before the court declared him the father based on his attitude towards the case and the 99% DNA match. Malone refused to pay $125 per month for child support despite being paid over $800,000 per month by the Jazz at the time.
Gloria Bell’s parents dropped the lawsuit to protect Karl Malone
However, after the case blew up and Karl Malone refused to acknowledge the child or pay child support, Malone and Bell’s family came to a mutual agreement. They decided to drop the lawsuit to protect Malone’s blossoming career in basketball. Years down the line, Gloria’s parents sued him again as they wanted him to acknowledge Demetress as his son. Malone wanted nothing to do with him and claimed they could never have a father-son relationship.
Did You Know❓
Buffalo Bills 7th Rd draft pick in 2009, Demetress Bell is the son of NBA Hall of Famer Karl Malone. Bell started 30 games at OT in 3 years in Buffalo. Demetress Bell was born to 20-year-old Malone & a 13-year-old mother in 1984 in Louisiana. #BillsTrivia pic.twitter.com/YMi9dli4Ve
— VintageBills (@VintageBills) January 17, 2023
Demetress ended up becoming an incredible football star. He played in the NFL and competed for the Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles, and Dallas Cowboys between 2008 and 2013. Eventually, Malone also decided to reconcile and give Demetress a shot. Interestingly, they both maintain a great relationship. Initially, they would talk from time to time. But as they kept getting to know each other, Demetress and Karl would speak to each other almost every day.