A Davidson County, North Carolina jury has ordered NASCAR driver Jennifer Jo Cobb to pay $850,000 after a lawsuit claimed she had an affair with another woman’s husband. The verdict, returned Sept. 24, split into $50,000 for alienation of affection and $800,000 for criminal conversation. Cobb, 53, was also found liable for $1 in punitive damages on each claim. The suit alleged she called and texted the husband while traveling to races and arranged secret meetings, and the couple separated in January 2021.
The case hinges on two legal claims that most states have abolished. North Carolina still allows a spouse to sue a third party for interfering in a marriage. Alienation of affection covers the loss of the relationship itself, while criminal conversation deals specifically with extramarital sexual conduct. The plaintiff had sought more than $25,000 per claim plus punitive damages.
For those of us on the Suncoast, the verdict raises a question that stretches well beyond racing: should the law get involved when a marriage falls apart because of a third person? Some say these statutes protect families. Others argue they put a price tag on something that can’t be measured. Either way, $850,000 is a number that’s hard to ignore. What do you think — should Florida have laws like this?
