CHICAGO - Michael Jordan filed a lawsuit Wednesday against a woman he contends is trying to extort $5 million from him to keep quiet about their relationship more than 10 years ago. <br>
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Jordan acknowledged in the lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court that he paid the woman $250,000 ``under threat of publicly exposing that relationship.'' <br>
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Jordan, who plays for the Washington Wizards but spent most of his career with the Chicago Bulls, never agreed to pay any amount above the original $250,000, the lawsuit says. The woman attempted to extort the additional money from Jordan through her attorneys, according to the lawsuit. Her lawyers were not named in the paperwork. <br>
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The lawsuit asks the court to stop the woman from further attempts to get money from Jordan. <br>
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Jordan, who has been married for more than 12 years, refused to comment when asked about the lawsuit before the Wizards' preseason game in Detroit. <br>
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After Washington's 86-66 loss, he was not much more forthcoming about the situation. <br>
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``That's private,'' he said surrounded by reporters and cameras. ``That's totally private.'' <br>
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Jordan's lawyer, Frederick Sperling, refused to say whether he asked the police to get involved. He also refused to answer questions about the nature of the relationship. <br>
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``The complaint says everything Michael has to say,'' Sperling said. <br>
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Chicago Police had no knowledge of a criminal complaint filed, while the Cook County State's Attorney's office said no charges were filed. <br>
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Estee Portnoy, a spokeswoman for SFX Sports Group, Jordan's management agency, said she couldn't comment on pending litigation. <br>
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Juanita Jordan filed for divorce last January, but the Jordans withdrew the divorce case a month later and issued a statement saying they were trying to get back together.
