Baker Mayfield Reconnects With Family After $12 Million Legal Dispute

Baker Mayfield is opening the door to a fresh start with his family.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback, 31, revealed Tuesday, Aug. 18, that he and his wife, Emily, have reconnected with his extended family nearly two years after a legal dispute involving his father and brother.

“In the past few months, I’ve been reconnected with my family,” Mayfield told the Tampa Bay Times. “It’s been good.”

The family rift followed a November 2024 lawsuit filed by Baker and Emily, in which they alleged that his father, James, and brother, Matt, failed to repay $12 million they claimed had been taken from Baker’s accounts and funneled into businesses connected to the family members. The Mayfields had previously sought an audit that reportedly identified unauthorized withdrawals between 2018 and 2021.

Despite the painful history, Mayfield said he has chosen forgiveness and is focused on moving forward. He also described how introducing his daughter, Kova, to her grandparents helped reopen the relationship.

“For them to have two grandbabies, it’s tough,” he said. “What’s in the past is in the past.”

The Mayfields welcomed their second child, son Maverick Thorne, in April. Emily shared that their son arrived April 16 weighing 9 pounds.

Now raising two children under 2, the couple is also navigating Mayfield’s uncertain NFL future. He enters the final year of his three-year, $100 million contract with Tampa Bay.

For Mayfield, though, family remains a priority. He said he has learned that forgiveness means accepting his own mistakes while leaving the door open for reconciliation.

“The past few months, we have made good progress and began reconnecting,” he said.