A divorcing New Jersey billionaire’s gal pal was his son’s fencing coach — and as soon as sued his spouse for defamation, claiming the partner insinuated she ruined their marriage, courtroom papers present.
The revelations are simply the most recent weird twist within the sensational case involving what might doubtlessly be the most important divorce settlement in New Jersey historical past — $6.2 billion — and one of the crucial costly payouts involving a break up within the US ever.
Lauren Phillips, 40 — an award-winning former Rutgers College fencer — alleged in her 2024 lawsuit that Laura Overdeck, the soon-to-be ex-wife of hedge-fund savant John Overdeck, 56, publicly accused her of being her husband’s “paramour” and was “the explanation for the breakup” of the Brief Hills couple’s marriage.
The swimsuit — completely obtained by The Put up — additionally claimed that Laura Overdeck, a 56-year-old who shares three children together with her estranged hubby, accused Phillips “of being a prison who ‘threatens folks with actual knives’” in a textual content message to her estranged husband.
“These statements have been repeated all through the course of the 12 months to Ms. Phillips’ different shoppers, associates and enterprise associates,” stated the swimsuit filed by Phillips — a fencing coach who owns her personal health club in Millburn — that Christmas Eve.
“The narrative painted by Defendant served further functions, particularly, to smear Ms. Phillips and keep away from potential media embarrassment ensuing from Defendant’s high-profile divorce,” the swimsuit stated.
The lawsuit claimed the chatty Laura had “affected and can proceed to have an effect on” Phillips’ popularity — and, by proxy, her prestigious fencing college — inflicting “a lack of good will and confidence locally.”
A choose tossed the Essex County Superior Courtroom swimsuit months later when Phillips didn’t comply with up with the authorized course of.
A rep for Phillips declined to remark. Neither of the Overdecks responded to requests for remark from The Put up.
One among Overdeck’s three children took fencing classes for 5 years at Phillips’ academy, the swimsuit claimed.
It added that her 24-year profession as an teacher has despatched a few of her college students getting high fencing scholarships and even competing on the Olympics.
A few of what Phillips alleged in her lawsuit was referred to in body-camera footage taken almost a 12 months earlier outdoors of the Overdeck household’s mansion.
An unidentified lady is featured prominently within the footage, each talking to cops throughout the home name and as a the topic of what the Overdecks every individually inform police.
A number of claims made by Laura Overdeck on the time match completely with Phillips’ lawsuit.
“Frankly, it’s not even that difficult. He’s obtained a psycho girlfriend, and he’s obtained to get out,” Laura says within the footage referring to the lady, who she additionally accused of allegedly holding her family “at knife level.”
The footage additionally depicts John admitting to being in a “courting” relationship with the lady, however claimed the 2 by no means had intercourse or ever took their garments off.
“We’re having a courting relationship, however we’ve by no means had intercourse,” he informed one of many officers.
The Overdecks are presently duking it out in Newark household courtroom, with Laura Overdeck arguing for a $6.2 billion lower of her estranged hubby’s share in his large hedge fund, Two Sigma.
If she wins, it might grow to be the third-largest divorce in US historical past, touchdown the Overdecks simply behind Invoice and Melinda Gates and Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Scott on the listing of large matrimonial payouts.
Laura Overdeck reportedly rejected a $633 million settlement supply earlier this month, and is to this point holding agency that the expansion in Two Sigma since their marriage 20 years in the past must be thought-about a marital asset.
On Wednesday, John Overdeck stated in courtroom that the supply was “honest and equitable.”
“I additionally assume it’s ample to assist her,” he testified.
— Extra reporting by Reuven Fenton
