Reggie Bush, Lloyd Lake Conclude History of Lawsuits?

USC Trojans legend Reggie Bush recently made headlines with a Van Nuys judge denying Bush's appeal of an arbitrator's decision ordering Bush to pay Lloyd Lake close to $1.4 million as a result of a defamation lawsuit brought by Lake against the former Trojan, according to a report fromThe Los Angeles Times' Ryan Kartje.

The history between Lake and Bush is notorious, with Lake being the San Diego sports marketer who gave NCAA investigators financial records of Bush and his family receiving improper benefits during his time at USC. Will this recent decision to deny Bush's appeal be the last time Lake and Bush face each other in court?

"The judge’s decision this week came more than 15 years after the first explosive lawsuit between the two men was settled. That suit, which Lake first filed in 2007, claimed that he and another businessman, Michael Michaels, had provided Bush and his family with cash, a car, rent-free use of a house and other gifts while he played at USC in 2004 and 2005 with the expectation Bush would sign with Lake and his fledgling sports management company, New Era Sports & Entertainment," reported Kartje.

Dec 2, 2022; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Former Southern California Trojans tailback Reggie Bush on the Fox Sports television set at the Pac-12 Championship game at Allegiant Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The original lawsuit's settlement contained a non-disparagement clause between Lake, Lake's parents, and the USC star, but Bush broke that agreement in 2022 in an appearance on the podcast "I Am Athlete" by accusing Lake of blackmail, ultimately leading to the most recent ruling.

Kartje detailed how Roy and Barbara Gunner, Lake's parents, were impacted by the statements that Bush made in the podcast interview.

"The same week the podcast was published, the Gunners’ home was vandalized with graffiti. The threatening message left behind, written in red spray paint on an outside wall, read: 'Help Reggie Bush Get His Trophy Back F— Crook,'" reported Kartje.

Will this be the end of the saga between Lake and Bush in court?

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The Trojans legend ultimately did get his Heisman Trophy back, thanks to changes surrounding Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rules in college sports. However, Bush still has an ongoing lawsuit against the NCAA, Pac-12, and USC, arguing that all three entities profited off of Bush during his time with the Trojans.

“We appreciate that the new administration at USC is trying to pick up the pieces of the former administrations’ unjust and improper handling of Reggie Bush, however, the delay in fixing this speaks volumes,” one of Bush's attorneys, Levi McCathern II, said in a statement released in September of 2024.

NIL was not formally allowed or introduced to college athletes until a Supreme Court ruling in 2021, far after Bush won the Heisman in 2005. In the recent House vs. NCAA lawsuit, judge Claudia Ann Wilken approved a settlement that includes $2.8 billion designated for former student athletes dating back to 2016.

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