Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving is facing a lawsuit for almost $400,000 from a health and wellness company alleging he failed to pay for their services in bizarre circumstances.
Irving hired Elite Mind Solutions and therapist Natasha McCartney for a retreat he organized for family and friends from June 28 to July 2 this year, TMZ reports.
Initially, the expected number of attendees was 50-60, but the count reportedly grew to 115 in the days leading up to the event, with a final attendance of around 150 people.
The lawsuit claims the company fulfilled all therapeutic sessions and exercises agreed upon. Additionally, when a participant tragically passed away during the retreat, McCartney provided grief counseling and crisis management services.
Invoices sent to Irving amounted to $390,710, but the suit alleges he failed to settle the payment.
Attorney Michael Faragalla, representing McCartney, told The Independent, “After making direct contact with Kyrie Irving and his associates, Mr. Irving put it all off on his supporting cast. He even failed to pick up the phone and call Natasha McCartney, so he didn’t make any effort to resolve [the situation] prior to the actual filing [of the lawsuit]. Of course, he had an attorney retained, and of course, his manager and his agent got involved and made several insulting offers, but Kyrie Irving himself never personally tried to make amends.”
Additional details reported by The Independent state that the retreat was disrupted on June 30 when “the program and retreat came to a stop due to the tragic death of a participant during the event.” Following the incident, McCartney allegedly took on responsibilities for “crisis management and bereavement services.”
According to the lawsuit, McCartney called on her husband, “a retired NYPD Internal Affairs Detective 1st Grade from the Internal Affairs Division,” to assist with security and liaise with state officers. She also served as a “liaison between the family and North Dakota officers to secure the crime scene of the deceased family member,” the suit claims.
“She provided essential information to ensure that guests were not interrogated by [police], promptly facilitated the removal of Kyrie from the scene to avoid media exposure, and assisted the Coroner with preparations for the family viewing and transportation,” the lawsuit further alleges.
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