Tyreek Hill has been found civilly liable for two counts of battery against his estranged wife, Lakeeta Vaccaro, following a weeklong trial in Miami, The Associated Press reported.
The six-person jury returned its verdict on Oct. 13 and awarded Vaccaro $500,000 in compensatory damages. The panel declined to award punitive damages.
Jurors rejected five additional battery counts, one assault claim, one claim of intentional infliction of emotional distress and one alleging continuing domestic violence.
The claims arose during the couple’s ongoing divorce. The proceedings were civil, rather than a criminal prosecution.
Jurors Reviewed a Photograph and Recordings From Separate Arguments
The findings concerned incidents in January 2024 and on April 7, 2025, according to Defector’s courtroom reporting.
Vaccaro testified that the first confrontation began over a proposed postnuptial agreement. She said Hill knocked her down, tore off her necklace and put his hands around her neck. Jurors saw a photograph she said she took afterward showing a red mark near her collarbone.
For the later incident, the jury heard part of a 911 call from Vaccaro’s mother and audio from a nanny camera. Vaccaro filed for divorce the following day.
Hill Apologized for His Language While Disputing Abuse Allegations
Hill, 32, denied most of Vaccaro’s allegations while testifying. AP reported that he acknowledged shoving her during one confrontation.
Returning to the stand on Oct. 9, he apologized for verbally abusing her and said he regretted the language captured in recordings shown to the jury, Court TV reported.
When asked whether he had been a good husband, Hill said he had not. He compared reviewing his behavior to studying football footage, saying “there were a lot of areas I can improve in.”
He also disputed the claim that he had thrown Vaccaro through a wall. In his account that day, a door damaged the wall while he was trying to get away from her.
Defense attorney Christi Bright had argued in her opening statement that officers who responded to the couple’s disputes had not found evidence supporting an arrest. Vaccaro’s attorney Paul Schwiep said his client had not been collecting photographs to build a case while trying to preserve the marriage, according to Court TV’s earlier trial coverage.
Both Legal Teams Claimed Success After the Verdict
Vaccaro’s lawyers had requested $8 million during closing arguments. After the verdict, attorney Evan Marks told Defector, “We are satisfied with the jury’s verdict.”
Hill’s attorney Michael Gottlieb emphasized the claims the jury rejected and the size of the award relative to the demand. “From our client’s perspective, this was a defense verdict,” he told the outlet.
Hill embraced one of his attorneys before leaving the courtroom, TMZ reported.
The NFL Review Continues as Hill Works Toward a Return
The NFL said after the verdict that the matter remained under review through its personal conduct policy, the New York Post reported, quoting the league’s statement to Pro Football Talk.
Hill remains a free agent after the Dolphins released him on Feb. 16 with a failed-physical designation. He has been recovering from the knee dislocation and ligament damage he sustained in September 2025.
In an Oct. 14 update to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, agent Drew Rosenhaus said discussions with multiple teams were continuing but no deal was imminent, according to RotoWire.
“He’s continuing his rehab with the goal of being on a team in the immediate future,” Rosenhaus said.